


A Private Affair

by keepitsecret19



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Adult Content, Adultery, Established Relationship, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Infidelity, Lots of drama, Some angst, azureshipping, but then kept going, started as a oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:21:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 29,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28051593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keepitsecret19/pseuds/keepitsecret19
Summary: She found out her boyfriend had been cheating on her. So, she started her own affair with his rival. How will it end?
Relationships: Atem/Mazaki Anzu | Tea Gardner, Kaiba Seto/Mazaki Anzu | Tea Gardner
Kudos: 10





	1. How It Started

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters.
> 
> Instead of studying for my finals, I've decided to transfer work over from FFnet to here. Please enjoy!

Her nails dug into his chest as she rhythmically moved on top of him. She moved at a steady pace until he planted his feet on the bed and drove up into her, causing her to throw her head back and moan his name. Téa began moving desperately on top of him as his hands roamed over her from her hips around to her ass, and up to her breasts that he squeezed, making her whimper.

"Seto," Téa gasped. "I'm close – so close." Seto moved one hand from her breast down to her clit and began rubbing furiously. With a few more thrusts, she shattered above him with her eyes squeezed shut and her mouth in a perfect "O" shape. Her release triggered his own and he thrust up into her hard, groaning her name as he came, gripping her hips so hard, he knew there would be bruises there the next day. She collapsed on top of him and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as the aftershocks of their climaxes began to subside. Téa gingerly slipped off him, wincing as he fell out of her. Seto sighed as he gathered her to lay on his chest with their legs tangled. They both enjoyed the quiet afterglow of their lovemaking until she said something that broke their little oasis.

"I have to go," she said softly.

"No, you don't," he said, reflexively tightening his arms around her.

Téa sighed, knowing that he would say that. "Yes, I do. He's flying back today, and he'll wonder where I am if I'm not at the apartment. He might already be there."

"Let him wonder." She looked up to see Seto's tense face. She hated this part. She ruefully disengaged herself from him and got off the bed to begin putting her clothes back on.

"You don't have to go back," Téa heard from behind her. She looked at him lounging on the bed and really wish she hadn't. He looked gorgeous, laying on the bed with his broad chest and muscles on full display with the dark blue sheets covering his lower half, his hard blue eyes watching her carefully.

She turned back around and sat on the bed while she pulled her thigh high socks back on. "Don't tell me you don't get a thrill out of knowing that you're fucking the Pharaoh's girlfriend," keeping her tone light. Téa felt a hand on her arm, making her lock her gaze once again with his.

"I'm not going to lie. That was definitely part of the appeal when this started. You know me too well to for me to say otherwise. But I think we both know this went further than that a long time ago." His eyes seemed bluer and fiercer than they had a minute ago. She hesitated and he sensed it. He decided to try and push further. "I wouldn't hurt you the way he has. I'm not built like that. I can't say I won't ever hurt you because I am absolutely trash at communication and relationships, but I would never betray you. You know that."

She knew he spoke the truth. Seto Kaiba was a lot of things, but a liar was not one of them. He may be an ass at times, but he was loyal to a fault. This was a man that, as a child, sacrificed his own childhood for his little brother and refused to leave him even in the direst of circumstances. But there were other reasons that made her hold back, ones she wasn't sure she could explain to Seto. She smiled gently at him.

"I'll see you soon." She leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss before putting her shoes on and walking out of his bedroom. He watched her leave and then flopped onto his bed. He ran his hands over his face in frustration, exhaling loudly. He knew he should stop this. He was in way too deep and this wasn't healthy for either of them. He wanted more. He wanted her fully. He wanted a real relationship where he could kiss her in public and show his love for her to the world. He hadn't told her yet, but he knew. When this had begun, he had no idea what he was getting himself into. He had fallen for her hard and fast, realizing for the first time that there was more to life then just work and his brother. He just didn't understand why such a strong, beautiful, and independent woman would stay with a man that didn't deserve an ounce of her attention.

*************************

After the Ceremonial Duel resulted in a draw, the Pharaoh or Atem was granted his own body. He would be able to live his life as a normal mortal and take his place in the afterlife when he died after living a normal life. He joined the twenty-first century with the help of his friends. He began his own dueling career and swiftly rose to the top to join Yugi. He gained international fame as one of the highest-ranking duelists and he dominated at every tournament. A few months after the Ceremonial Duel, Atem and Téa started dating seriously. They moved in together after dating for six months. Téa was working at a dance studio as a dance teacher while attending university. Atem traveled for tournaments and worked as a dueling instructor. They had been together for two years now, but their relationship was altered irrevocably eight months ago.

It seemed like a normal day. Atem had gone to the store to pick up their dinner. His phone kept buzzing while she was studying for her math exam and getting annoyed by it, she got up to silence it. Atem wasn't the most tech savvy, being a 5,000-year-old pharaoh, so he had no locks or privacy settings on his phone and he often forgot to take it with him anyway. What she found ripped her heart out. Not only were there messages that he had been receiving from one woman, but from three different woman, all saying how much they enjoyed their night with him and hoping to do it again along with some other provocative messages. She didn't know how long she stood there, just staring at the messages, but a door closing jerked her out of her trance. She clicked the power button on the phone, set it back down on the table and walked back to her desk. When he walked into the small office and pecked her on the cheek, she simply smiled and didn't say a word. He seemed to get less careful as time went on or maybe she became more observant. She began noticing him coming home later at night, smelling of perfume that was not hers.

Three months after her discovery, Atem and Téa planned a nice night out. She was determined to look her best in a little black dress and high red heels. She went to the fancy restaurant where she was supposed to meet him. She waited for a half hour at the table alone. She got no response to her texts or calls. Humiliated and feeling anger course through her, she stormed out of the restaurant. Deciding she looked too good to back home, she was about to call Mai to get drinks until she remembered that her and Joey were vacationing in the Bahamas. Fuck it, she needed a drink and she was going to get one. She went to a well-known, upper-class bar down the street from the restaurant. She plopped down at the bar and ordered an extra dry martini. She had been halfway through her second drink, contemplating how her life had gotten to this point, when she felt a presence next to her at the bar.

"What are you doing here alone?" a whiskey smooth voice asked. She turned in surprise.

"Kaiba? What are you doing here?"

"I asked first."

"I needed a drink. What about you?"

"I was supposed to meet a potential investor here, but he cancelled last minute. Now I'm glad he did." He had his signature smirk on his face that used to send her blood pumping as a teenager.

"I don't remember you being this charming in high school," she said, raising a brow at him.

He shrugged noncommittally while he flagged the bartender for a glass of brandy. "Where's your annoying boyfriend?" He had to admit that he was curious. With her looking like that, even her idiot of a boyfriend should know not to leave her alone in a bar. He had always found her attractive back in high school, he just couldn't get along with her friends or listen to annoying friendship speeches. One of her best friends being his biggest rival didn't help matters either.

"Probably fucking some groupie." That was not the response she had wanted to give, but the alcohol had loosened her tongue and her emotions were still raging from being stood up. Clearly, it was not the response he had expected because he blinked at her in surprise. She flushed in embarrassment and turned her head down to her drink. Great, now he was going to think she was some loser who couldn't keep her own man. Well, she thought, not like he would be wrong.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me. He's even stupider than I thought he was." She snapped her head in his direction, shocked by his response. To be honest, she expected an infamous scathing Kaiba comment aimed in her direction. He was looking her in the eyes with a look of displeasure on his face. "I will happily punch him in the face for you. I've been looking for an excuse for years."

She chuckled for the first time in what felt like an eternity. "Thank you. But he has no idea that I know."

"The offer stands. Feel free to take me up on it anytime." She looked at him and studied him carefully, noting there was no pity on his face.

"How's Mokuba?" she asked, not so subtly changing the topic. He told her about his brother doing well in school and the trials of dealing with a teenager. She told him about the dance studio and her upcoming performance in a production. Drinks and conversation continued to flow as they caught up. She was a bit astounded at how easily they talked to each other without the pressures of dueling and her friends surrounding them. She was laughing at something he said when she felt his hand on her knee. She stopped and looked at him.

"Kaiba, if I didn't know any better, I would say that you were flirting with me," Téa playfully said.

"Call me Seto. And so, what if I am?" Seto replied, smirking.

"I have a boyfriend."

"That's a complete douchebag." He leaned closer to her until she could smell the brandy on his breath. "And you know what they say," Seto purred, "karma's a bitch." Blue gazes locked on each other as he waited for her response. Téa's head spun from his proximity and the alluring sound of his voice. It had been so long since she felt like this. So long since she had felt that rush of adrenaline and that spark of pleasure. She swallowed.

"Do you have a car?"

"It's outside." He grabbed her hand, throwing cash down on the counter and led her out of the bar. She slipped into the limo that was waiting and as soon as he climbed in and the door was closed, she grabbed the collar of his fitted black jacket and pulled his mouth to hers. Fumbling, he put the divider up between the front of the limo and the back with a flick of a switch while deepening the kiss. They didn't even make it to the mansion. They fucked right there in the back of his limo. They then proceeded to go to his bedroom for two more rounds. She left in the early hours of the morning before he woke, leaving her number on a piece of paper on his dresser. When she got back to the apartment, she was met with red roses and an apology from Atem. When he asked where she was, she said she had met with a dance friend and stayed the night at her house after too many drinks.

It had been five months since Téa and Seto's affair started. They continued to meet in secret all while falling for each other, no matter how they tried to deny it. He loved the way she laughed and her ability to stand up to him. She loved his smile and how he made her feel safe.

*************************

Téa walked up the stairs to her and Atem's apartment, mind still whirling from her conversation with Seto. She couldn't explain her full reasoning to Seto about why she wouldn't leave Atem. A lot of it had to do with her friends. Bringing light of his infidelity would not only destroy her romantic relationship with him, but she also knew it would have major consequences for the rest of her friends. Their group would be permanently altered, and she worried that the relationships wouldn't survive the blow. The whole group worshipped him, and she had an irrational fear that they would take his side. A part of her was also still caught up in the teenage love that she had held for the Pharaoh. Losing her first love and in such an ugly way was never something she wanted, in fact she never expected to lose him at all after they all found out he was here to stay. After all these years, she still had the teenage daydream of living happily ever after with the Pharaoh. She stopped at the door and took a deep breath before she unlocked it and entered. She found Atem in the kitchen pulling out a beer from the fridge.

He smiled at her although it failed to make her heart beat fast like it used to. "Hey, you're home," he greeted. He walked over to her and placed a quick peck on her lips. She didn't miss the pink lipstick that was on the collar of his white button-down shirt. She turned around and was taking off her coat when he said "I was just about to order us something, any preferences?"

"Anything is fine," she replied automatically. "How was the flight?"

"Long. I'll go ahead and order then." He walked into the living room and she heard him start to call whatever restaurant he had chosen. She was about to walk through the doorway to join him when she felt like she had just run into a brick wall.

What was she doing? Why was she forcing herself to do this? Why was she the one that was slowly dying on the inside every time she walked into this apartment? Why was she with a man that she no longer loved? She was miserable. Even her dancing at taken a dark turn. Instead of dancing to happy or upbeat songs, she had been dancing to morose and heartbreak songs in her practices the past months. The only times she felt any kind of reprieve was the stolen moments with Seto. She knew she was in love with him, although she hadn't said the words. It wasn't the same kind of love that she had shared with Atem. It was something deeper and more powerful than mere puppy love that was based on false dreams.

It would be hard to breakup with Atem. Breakups were always hard. But her friends wouldn't want her to be unhappy. They would understand. It might take some time and maybe some bridges were burned, but she could get through it. Especially if she had Seto by her side. She was being unfair to him. She was being unfair to herself. She deserved a full relationship full of love rather than a convenient one that was only held together by ghosts. With a newfound clarity, she marched into the living room with a reignited fire.

"I ordered Chinese. I hope that's-" Atem began.

"We need to break up," she interrupted him. Atem froze. His eyes widened as he looked at her.

"Téa, what's wrong-" he started again, but she didn't let him finish.

"I know about the other women, Atem. I've known for months. I don't deserve this. I'm going to pack a bag and leave. I'll be back for the rest of my stuff once I find a new place." She turned and walked out of the room with him still frozen in place. She went into the bedroom and calmly packed some clothes in a bag along with her toiletries. All her dance stuff was at the studio, so she didn't have to worry about that. She walked back down the hallway, bag in hand and went to get her coat and car keys.

"Téa, wait. Let me just explain-" She whirled around and cut him off again.

"No Atem, I don't want to hear the excuses. I've wasted enough of my time already. Honestly, I should've known better. I should've known that a guy that used to have a harem wouldn't be able to understand monogamy." She paused. "I-I haven't been faithful either. I've been seeing someone for a few months after I found out about the cheating. I don't know where it'll go, but I know I can't stay with you any longer. I deserve better and I've been taking this shit for way too long. I deserve to be happy. I still think you do too despite what you've done, but I know that you won't find it with me. Not anymore. We're over Atem." With that, she opened the apartment door and slammed it shut behind her, along with that chapter of her life. Tears pricked in her eyes as she took her first real breath in months. It felt like a ton of concrete had just been taken off her chest. She walked out of the apartment building, knowing exactly where she would be heading.

*************************

After Téa had left, Seto thought maybe he should try and do some work to try and take his mind off things. He knew it would be futile though. All he could think about was her and how badly he wanted her to come back. He cursed the stupid Pharaoh for probably the billionth time in his life. He sighed and just hoped that maybe sleep would take away his plaguing thoughts.

He woke in surprise when he felt someone getting in his bed a couple hours later.

"You shouldn't give a key to the mansion to strange women. They might crawl into your bed in the middle of the night." The moonlight lit the room enough for Seto to see Téa's smile in the darkness. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"What are you doing here? Did he not come home?" He couldn't help the bitterness in his voice. She knew he wouldn't waste time and would get straight to the point. Téa pulled back from his embrace so she could look in his eyes.

"It's over. I broke up with him. I told him I knew about the other women and I was moving out. I told him we were over for good."

On the inside, those words brought him such joy. But he knew that it must've been hard for her, so he tried to keep the happiness off his face. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I'm not. It took me long enough." At that, he smiled for real. Her heart swelled with adoration at it. "I told him I was seeing someone," she said tracing his naked chest, "but I didn't tell him it was you. I didn't want to create even more drama. If I did, I knew he would go straight to the gang or worse, the press and that would just cause a whole other disaster."

He began stroking her hair, making her eyes droop. "Don't worry about it. We'll figure it out, Téa. Together."

They both slept peacefully together, wrapped up in each other, knowing that whatever they would be faced with next, their love for the other would get them through it.


	2. Awkward Talks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you really love Atem, sorry but you probably won't like him much in this fic. I just couldn't have it be Yugi, because he's just too sweet and he will play a role later on. I'm a Revolutionshipper too, but Atem fit the bill for this. Plus, I can see where his past life as Pharaoh who were basically worshipped like divine beings, could turn into a version of this in today's society if he had stayed. Also I have no idea when the Duel Academy was actually installed, but I'm assuming it's up and running for this story.
> 
> Kaiba may also be a bit OOC when he's with Téa, but at this point they've been together for months so he's going to be softer around her. It's been a few years since the Ceremonial Duel (DSOD is not in this) and I imagine he's had some maturity growth. Reviews and suggestions are welcome.

The next morning when Téa woke, her back was against Seto's chest with his arm wrapped around her waist.

"Good morning," Seto whispered as he planted soft kisses on her neck. She smiled sleepily and stretched her neck to give him better access.

"I'm surprised you're still in bed," she murmured. It was rare that she ever woke up before him due to his internal clock that always got him up for work when she was able to spend a full night at his mansion.

"How could I leave when there is something so tempting in my bed?" he moved to press a kiss right below her ear. She turned around to face him and kissed him deeply while his hand started to stroke her back. She broke the kiss a couple minutes later and buried her face in his bare chest.

"Let's just stay in bed and forget the world." He let out a deep chuckle.

"Unfortunately, I do have work I need to do today." She pulled her head back and mock pouted at him which only made him smile wider. Seto still couldn't believe that she was actually here. In his bed. Completely free from Atem. He was so proud that she finally left the scoundrel that had been treating her so poorly. Still, he knew that her feeling ran deep for him. He briefly wondered if she regretted it. The thought sobered him.

"Seriously Téa, how are you feeling?"

She took a minute to think. It still seemed a bit surreal that she was had left Atem. It seemed even more surreal that she was now able to be with Seto, free of any lingering guilt about her own unfaithfulness. She wouldn't trade the world for Seto, but betrayal never sat easy with her. "It's a lot to process," she began slowly. "But I don't regret what I did last night, and I definitely don't regret getting into that limo with you that night. It'll take some time to get used to. I know that he and I will always share a connection, not just because of Yugi and the gang, but also because we've been through a lot together. You were right though. This was way past due, and I couldn't keep living like that."

"What made you do it? When you left, it didn't seem like you would."

She rolled back over so she was laying on her back. His hands on her were distracting her from thinking. "Honestly, I don't even know. I walked into the apartment and I was just hit by it all. Our conversation we had, all these months of sneaking around by both me and him, and how unfair I was being to myself and you." She hesitated. "Part of why I was so reluctant to do it was because of everyone else's' feelings. I mean, this won't just affect me and him, it's going to affect everyone in the group. They love him. I know they love me too, but it's going to be awkward between Atem and I which is going to make it awkward for everyone. But I know that if they knew the truth, that they wouldn't want me to stay like this, no matter how uncomfortable and painful it's going to be. They would want me to be happy." She turned to face him. "And I'm happy when I'm with you."

He paused before he responded. "Look, it's no secret that I don't really get along with your friends, although we have improved over the last couple years. But I know that they care for you. I'm just glad you finally pulled your head out of your ass." She laughed loudly at that comment and he cracked a grin. "When are we going to tell them?"

She liked how he said "we" and not "you." She sighed. That would not be an easy conversation. She could already hear Joey yelling out curse words. "I'm not sure. The press is going to be everywhere once they get wind that Atem and I broke up. It might be better for us to wait for it to die down before we go fully public. But I think you should tell Mokuba. He deserves to know about what's been going on with you." He nodded. Not telling his little brother had been difficult. The little rascal was observant and could tell something had been up the past months.

"Why don't we tell him today?" he asked. "He's should be home any minute to be honest, so I don't think we have much choice unless you want to sneak out of here." She smiled and kissed him again.

"No, no more sneaking." They both arose from bed and swiftly dressed and went downstairs for breakfast. Seto began taking out ingredients to make pancakes, eggs, and sausages while she grabbed some fruit. One of the biggest surprises she discovered about Seto was that he could cook. She had always assumed that he had some kind of chef before they started seeing each other, but he had said it relaxed him, so he just did it himself unless he got too busy.

"There's something else I wanted to talk to you about," he began hesitantly while he beat the eggs. He put the bowl down and leaned against the counter as he faced her. "I was thinking about what you said last night. About you moving out. I was wondering if you would want to move in here."

Téa blinked. She had thought he was going to ask if she wanted blueberries in her pancakes or something. "Seto, I don't think that's the best idea right now." She saw disappointment flash in his eyes before he placed his mask back on.

"I see," came his clipped reply. He turned back to the counter. She moved swiftly and pulled him back to face her.

"It's not that I don't want to. But I just broke up with Atem. The press would go wild if they found out I was living here. It would be even harder to keep us quiet if I was to move in. Plus, I think it would do me some good to have my own place. I need to get myself back on my feet. I don't want to ruin this. I don't want to lose you because we moved too fast."

She saw Seto take a breath and relax his tense muscles. "Ok, I get that." She leaned back. She had been expecting way more of an argument. He rolled his eyes at her. "Don't look so surprised. But I hope you will stay here until you do find somewhere. And the offer stands. You can accept it when you're ready." He was disappointed. But he also saw where she was coming from. Living with one cheating bastard only to jump to another guy's house, said cheating bastard's rival no less, would not look good to the public.

"Thank you for understanding." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for another kiss. He didn't seem happy to end it and instead of releasing her, he pulled her closer and deepened it. Things got heated between them quickly until a shriek from the doorway made them jump apart. They turned to see Mokuba at the door with his mouth open and pointing back and forth between the two.

"I think someone needs to explain why you're making out with my brother," Mokuba said, his face flaming. Seto cleared his throat while he rubbed the back of his neck. Téa immediately felt blood rush to her cheeks.

"Well, this isn't exactly how I pictured you finding out, but we were going to tell you today," Seto stated calmly.

"Find out what exactly? Last time I checked, Téa was dating Atem," Mokuba said while eyeing her suspiciously.

"We broke up," Téa clarified.

"Since, when?"

"Um," she blushed harder, "since yesterday." Mokuba raised both his eyebrows with a look that screamed 'are you serious right now?'

"Yesterday," he said slowly. "So, what you just decided to jump in bed with my brother right after?"

"Mokuba!" Seto said sharply. "I won't have you disrespecting her like that. Apologize."

"No, it's fine," Téa interjected. "You have to admit, this looks bad."

"I don't care how it looks. He knows better that to speak to a woman that way. Mokuba. Apologize. Now." Seto commanded in a voice that left room for zero argument. Mokuba cleared his throat and looked down.

"He's right, Téa. I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry."

She smiled warmly at him. "Really, don't worry about it. How about I let you two talk privately and I'll let Seto explain everything. Is that ok?" she asked looking at Seto. Mokuba raised an eyebrow her use of his brother's first name. As far as he knew, Mokuba himself was the only one that called him that. Seto nodded. Mokuba saw Téa reach over and squeeze his hand and then walked out of the kitchen.

"I'm all ears big brother." Seto took a deep breath and launched into their tale. He explained Atem's constant infidelity and how Téa had known about it for the past eight months. He told him about their run in with each other and, while omitting the more mature details of that night, how they had ended up starting to have an affair and had been seeing each other for the past five months. He made it clear though that this was not just a physical relationship, she meant a lot to him and was pursuing a real relationship with her. Mokuba listened intently to his brother's tale. He realized quickly that she did indeed mean a lot to his brother, just by the way he looked when he talked about her. Although he was disappointed in Atem and felt bad for the pain Téa suffered, he saw what he always wanted to see. His brother happy.

"Wow," Mokuba said once Seto finished, "this is a lot to take in."

"Believe me, I know."

"Look, I don't care how you got together with her. If you're happy then I'm happy," the sixteen-year-old insisted. "I do wish you had told me sooner about all this, but I get why you didn't. Just please, keep the bedroom activities in your bedroom and not where I eat." Seto blushed bright red at that.

"We were just kissing!"

"Looked like it was about to be more from where I was standing." Téa poked her head in the kitchen and asked if she could rejoin them. At both their nods, she strolled back in the kitchen and wrapped one arm around Seto's waist.

"I'm sorry we sprung this on you, Mokuba. But I want you to know that your brother means a lot to me. I don't think I could've gotten through all this without him." Téa said, looking nervously at Seto's younger brother.

"No worries. I'm sorry I jumped down your throat. Like I told Seto, if you guys are happy, then so am I. I am wondering how you guys are going to handle this though. You dating your ex's biggest rival right after you break up is going to make the tabloids go wild."

Seto nodded. "We know, we're going to try and keep this quiet for now at least until the initial reaction to their breakup blows over. You're the only person that knows. So, just don't say anything. We'll keep you updated as things progress. I don't want the company placed in a bad light because of our private lives. I definitely don't want our relationship trashed all over the tabloids either."

Mokuba nodded. "You know you can trust me." Then broke out into a huge grin. "I just can't wait to see Joey's reaction. Promise me I'll get to be there for it or at least record it." Téa giggled as Seto rolled his eyes. "So, are you staying here then? Might make things difficult to keep quiet."

Téa shook her head. "Just until I find another place. I have to go back to get the rest of my stuff from my old apartment with Atem."

"Are you going to need help?" Seto asked. "I know I can't go, that would draw a lot of attention, but you could take Mokuba."

Téa shook her head. "Still might draw attention. It wouldn't take much for it to lead back to you, especially a few days after I broke up with him. I don't have much there so it really shouldn't take me long. I still have the keys and I know his schedule well enough that I can avoid him. I was thinking while you two were talking that I could ask Mai for help. Mai is one of my closest friends and she's been great support to me the past years. Plus, I think her reaction will be the most…mild."

Seto shrugged. "I don't care as long as she doesn't tell Wheeler. That guy can't keep his trap shut."

"I wasn't planning on telling her about us, although I bet she's going to ask where I've been staying, so I might have to. But Mai can keep a secret. I trust her." Seto nodded and Mokuba shrugged. "So, can we have breakfast now? I'm starving."

******************

A few days later, Téa had successfully found herself a new apartment. It was a cute studio apartment right by the dance studio which would make the commute to work easy. The apartment was in a cozy house above an elderly couple. She had her own little entryway with stairs leading up to a small porch and the front door. It wasn't big, but it was what she could afford, and her parents had generously loaned her a little bit of money after she told them of the breakup and her moving out. Since the old lease was only under Atem's name, she didn't have to worry about breaking the it. A fact that she had resented before but was grateful for now. Her new lease was signed, and the keys were hers. She hadn't seen any news of her breakup with Atem in the tabloids yet, which was a relief, nor had she heard from him since that day. The only thing left was to move in which would require her to go back to her old apartment to get her things. So, she took a deep breath and called Mai and asked if she could come over to her apartment for some girl time. Mai readily agreed and promised to have the wine ready.

Téa knocked on the door of Mai's apartment which swung open two seconds later and she was engulfed in an enthusiastic hug.

"Oh, it's been so long since I've seen you, hon! I've missed you! Come in, come in! Joey is at Yugi's so we have the place to ourselves. Let me get the wine!"

Téa smiled at seeing her friend's behavior. It had been a while since she'd seen her, and she really had missed her. Their relationship was rocky at first, but over time, they had become extremely close. Téa took a breath, knowing that this conversation wasn't going to be easy. "Good, because we're going to need it."

Mai froze and snapped to look at her. "Uh oh, I know that look. Something's wrong. I have a feeling it's about boys. Hold on, I'll get the big wine glasses." Once the wine was poured and they both sat comfortably on the couch, Mai asked her to tell her everything. So Téa did. She told her all about the messages she found along with some of the other signs about Atem's cheating. She explained how she had done nothing because of her denial and fear of what would follow if she did confront him. She described the confrontation that took place and finding clarity that she couldn't stay in the relationship anymore because of the pain she suffered due to Atem's serial cheating. She had choked up a few times during the tale and allowed a few tears to spill down her cheeks.

"What a bastard!" Mai exclaimed. "Oh, when I get my hands on him, he's going to feel pain like never before. If he thought the Shadow Realm was bad, he'll never know what hit him once I get to him!" Téa smiled through her tears at her friend vigor. "You know what this means. As a newly single lady, it's time to let loose and find someone to have fun with."

Téa cleared her throat and shifted awkwardly. "About that, I have to tell you something else. A few months after I discovered Atem's cheating, I kinda started seeing someone. Atem wasn't the only one that was unfaithful," she looked down shamefully.

Mai gaped at her. "WHO?"

"You're never going to believe me."

"Try me."

"You can't tell Joey. You can't tell anyone. If this got out, it would be chaos."

"Ok Téa, now you're starting to scare me."

"Seriously Mai, promise me. I wasn't going to tell you, but I need to talk to someone about this."

"Hey," Mai took her hand "no matter who it is, I don't care as long as he treats you well. I swear I won't tell a soul. Your secret is safe with me."

Téa squeezed her hand back. "I know Mai." She took a deep breath, steeling herself for Mai's reaction. "It's…It's Seto Kaiba."

Silence. Téa shifted awkwardly as Mai just stared at her with a blank face. "Uh Mai…?" Téa prompted hesitantly. Then, with no warning, Mai busted out laughing holding her stomach.

"Seto Kaiba! THE Seto Kaiba! Oh my gosh, this is too good. You really know how to pick them. You're sleeping with your ex's biggest rival! I can't wait to see Atem's face! You HAVE to tell me how this happened and please give me ALL the naughty details." Téa breathed a sigh of relief and cracked a smile. Téa told her about the events leading up to Seto finding her at the bar and what transpired at the bar and then after they left.

Once she finished, Téa said "To say it was unexpected would be an understatement."

"You can say that again! KAIBA! Who knew?" She took a couple deep breaths to calm herself down. "Wow, I gotta say you really surprised me. But listen hon, on a serious note, I meant what I said. I won't tell and as long as he treats you well, Kaiba's got my approval."

Téa smiled and squeezed her hand again. "Thank you, Mai, you have no idea how much that means to me."

"That's what friends are for."

"I do have a favor to ask of you, well two really. Please don't tell the guys just yet about me and Atem. I don't know what he's told them, but I want to tell them myself when I'm ready."

"As far as I know, he hasn't said anything to them. Joey would've told me otherwise unless he told Joey not to tell me. Honestly though, Joey gossips worse than a middle school girl so it would be amazing if he had managed to keep his mouth shut."

"Well that's good, I guess. The other favor is that my stuff is still at Atem's apartment. Since we're trying to keep it quiet, neither Seto nor Mokuba can come with me. Would you mind helping me move my stuff out? I didn't want to make Seto worry, but I really don't want to go alone. I would feel a lot better having you there in case we run into him even if it's unlikely."

"Of course, hon. Don't worry. When he sees me there, he'll be running for the hills. Now let's relax and put on '300' and finish this bottle. You know how I love to watch Gerard Butler in those little shorts. But first, you must tell me, is Kaiba any good in bed?"

"Mai!"

"I'll take that as a yes."


	3. Moving Out

True to her word, the next day Mai and Téa stood in front of her old apartment building with empty bins.

"How are we getting in?" Mai asked?

"I still have a key. He should be instructing right now and won't get back till late. We should be out in plenty of time. Plus, I don't see his car in the spot he usually parks in." Mai nodded and they rode the elevator up to her floor. She unlocked the door, the memories of the last time she was here flashing to the forefront of her mind. She hesitated in opening the door.

"You can do this." Téa looked at Mai whose eyes were filled with encouragement. Taking a breath and nodding, she opened the door. The apartment had definitely seen better days. Normally, Atem was a neat freak, but clearly, he had been lacking in the cleaning department. It had been a week since she left and takeout containers were still left out on the counters; dishes were stacked in the sink and it looked like someone had smashed one of the end tables by the couch. Téa heard Mai scoff behind her.

"Men," she heard Mai grumble. Téa cracked a small smile.

"Come on. Let's get this over with." Between the two of them, it didn't take long to have most of her stuff packed. She packed up her school supplies first. Luckily this whole thing blew up a week after finals so she was off for the summer and just had work at the dance studio. They were in the bedroom grabbing the last couple boxes when they heard the front door open. Both Téa and Mai froze at the same time and looked at each other. They heard the footsteps stop, probably realizing the apartment was looking sparser.

"Hello? Is someone here?" Atem's voice rang out in the apartment. Téa's breath hitched at hearing it for the first time since they broke up.

Gathering her courage, she called out "It's me, Atem. I came to get my stuff. I'm just getting the last couple boxes."

"Oh. Do-do you think we could talk?" he called down the hallway.

"Sorry, but I need to get to the studio," she lied quickly. They heard his footsteps start to come down the hallway. Mai swiftly picked up the box and moved just inside the doorway, so that when Atem tried to enter the room, he stumbled back in surprise at seeing the tall blonde glaring at down at him.

"Ma-Mai, I did not realize you were here."

"I didn't realize you were such an asshole," Mai's voice dripping with venom. Atem visibly flinched and cleared his throat.

"Uh would you mind giving me and Téa a minute?"

"Would you mind keeping your dick in your pants?"

"It's fine Mai," Téa interjected quickly before things could escalate. "I'll be done in a second, this is the last box." Mai looked back at her and seeming satisfied with the look on Téa's face, she pushed past Atem with her box, purposefully knocking her should into him and strutting out of the apartment. Téa cleared her throat and dug into her pocket.

"This is my key. Here." She should've just put it on the desk, because instead of taking the key, Atem gripped her wrist lightly. "I thought you wouldn't be here," Téa stated, shifting uncomfortably.

"One of my students was sick so the lesson was cancelled," he explained. "Téa please. I want to talk. We can figure this out."

"No Atem, we can't."

"I know I made mistakes, but we can work through this," he pleaded. His violet eyes looked imploringly at her. She noticed bags were beginning to form under his eyes and his hair didn't have the same flair it normally did. "I was hoping that we can just keep this between us. I thought if I gave you some space, you would calm down. Now that you're back, we can talk it out and move on together, like this never happened. I love you, Téa. That'll never change. I know you still love me too. We can get back to that place. We were happy together."

"Atem, we can't do that."

Atem frowned deeply. "Is it because of him? Whoever this person is you are seeing?" his tone biting.

"No. I can't be in a relationship where the other person isn't committed. Where there's no trust. Neither of us have that for the other anymore." His grip tightened on wrist.

"So, what you're just going to take your stuff and leave? Leave what we have together? Throw it all away for some nobody?"

"What we had is over. You'll always be special to me, but it's best we move on with other people."

"Who is it?" The tone he used sent a shiver down her spine and not in the good way. It was the same tone he used so often when he was facing an enemy in a duel.

"It's not your concern." Wrong answer. His grip tightened further.

"I believe that it is considering you were fucking him while we were together." Anger surged up within her.

"Don't get self-righteous with me. I'm not asking the name of every whore you were fucking when we were together. I'm sure there are plenty, but I'm choosing to focus on moving on, Atem. You should too." She needed to leave this apartment. She could feel the tears threatening to come up. She wrenched her wrist from him, dropped the key on the floor and picked up the final box before striding to the front door. He stood frozen in shock, not comprehending that she was going to leave him for good. How she could find someone else to replace him.

She fled down the hallway and out of the apartment. "Téa, wait! Stop!" She heard him call out to her. Tears were beginning to cloud her vision. She pressed the down button of the elevator frantically and rushed in when the doors finally opened. She looked down the hallway to see him running to catch her, yelling "Wait!" The doors shut.

She managed through the elevator ride without having a breakdown, but when she saw Mai waiting by her car, looking at her in concern, she threw the box down on the sidewalk as sobs tore through her body.

"Oh hon…" Téa felt arms wrap around her and Téa buried herself in Mai's embrace.

"I just don't get it Mai. Why wasn't I enough? What did I do wrong? I don't understand why I wasn't enough for him," Téa sobbed into Mai's shoulder.

"Now you listen to me," Mai pulled back from Téa but still grasped her shoulders, "you did absolutely nothing wrong. This wasn't about you. I don't know what changed, but Atem had no right to treat you the way he did. This is on him. I know you feel guilty about sleeping with You-Know-Who when you were still with Atem, but let's be honest, your relationship was over the minute you found those texts."

"I'm sorry, I'm such a mess."

"No. Don't you dare apologize. Let it out Téa. Scream, cry, throw things, break things, I don't care what you do. You have every right to feel what you're feeling and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Including your feelings for You-Know-Who. I'm here for you every step of the way."

"Thank you, Mai, I don't know what I would do without you. But, he's not Voldemort you know."

"Maybe not anymore. Well if you hadn't been there, I definitely would've punched Atem so it's a good thing you were there. Pharaoh or not, I will throw him on his ass."

"I would like to see that."

Mai grinned. "Don't think that you won't. Now come on, I believe we have some unpacking, ice cream and wine waiting for us."

Téa grinned and said, "With you, there is always wine involved."

Mai laughed and replied, "Hon, that's the best way to live life."


	4. Confrontations

Téa woke in her new apartment to her phone ringing. Without bothering to check the caller ID, she groggily asked "Hello?"

"YOU WHORE! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO HIM!" Jerking up quickly at the yelling, Téa checked the caller ID and realized it was an unknown number. Even with the phone away from her ear, she could still hear the girl on the line screaming and calling her names. She pressed the end call button and wondered what in the world got into some people, assuming that it must have been a wrong number. Her phone began ringing again and relief filled her when she saw Seto's office number. "Hey Seto. How's work?"

"Turn on the TV." he said, using a tone she knew was usually reserved for business. Dread filled her and she suspected she knew what was going to be on TV when she turned it on. She turned on her small TV and put the channel to the news. "THE KING PUSHED ASIDE BY HIS QUEEN FOR ANOTHER?" read across the bottom of the screen. She turned up the volume to hear what the reporter was saying.

"And this just in, the famous Duel Monsters champion Atem Mutou and long-time girlfriend, Téa Gardner have officially split. Atem was spotted at the Duel Academy's annual banquet unaccompanied. When asked where his lovely queen was, he expressed his heartbreak and revealed that they were no longer together as of last week. When asked for the details, Atem simply responded that she had found someone else and wished her the best. Talk about an Ice Queen. Rumors are flying that Ms. Gardner was spending time with someone else in her royal chambers before the split. Talk about a royal scandal! More on this, later tonight." The TV went to a commercial for a new car and Téa placed her head in her hands.

"I forgot about the banquet. I can't believe he did that," she said shakily.

"I'm not. Atem never took losing easily and since he never lost to Yugi in that duel, he still hasn't learned how. He's lashing out because he feels like you and the guy that you're seeing when you were with him beat him in some way. I know it's rich coming from me, but this is low even for him."

"But he cheated on me! Multiple times! With multiple women! How on Earth does he think that he can talk about me like that? This is so unfair." She flopped back on the bed and wished she had gotten groceries so she could hole up in her apartment. She could go undetected at the dance studio, most likely. Most of the kids there didn't have an interest in Duel Monsters and therefore rarely paid attention to anything happening in that world.

"I know, Téa. I should've known he would pull something like this. The breakup would've blown over after a couple months at most. But this? They're going to hound you. They're going to want all the scandalous details." She heard a bang on the other end of the line like he just hit his desk. "I hate to say it, but he has the advantage here. He's famous and don't take this the wrong way, but you're not, so people are going to listen to him first and then run with whatever story he gives them. And I can't do anything," she heard another bang, "because if I do it'll get tied back to me which will just make everything worse."

"It's ok, Seto. It's going to pass at some point," she said, hoping to calm him down. There was a pause.

"This is ridiculous. I don't think I can even get them to stop running it. And if I tried and it didn't work, then it would lead to a lot of questions." She heard him sigh and then say, "You may want to call your friends. I'd be surprised if they haven't tried to already."

"Hold on." She looked at her phone and realized he was right. She had multiple text messages from Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Mai and Duke already. She also had some more missed calls from unknown numbers. She put the phone back to her ear.

"Yea, they've contacted me. I don't know what I'm supposed to say to them," Téa's voice shook.

She heard him hesitate on the other side of the phone call. "You could deny it. You don't have to tell them about the affair."

She stopped for a moment. "No, Seto. I can't lie to them about this. I've already been lying for months about this, but I can't deny it to their faces. I don't want to hide this anymore. At least, not from them. Plus, Atem knows. There's no point in trying to deny it."

"I understand."

"Um Seto, I don't want you to worry but I think somehow people got my phone number. I woke up this morning to a phone call from a very angry girl saying not very nice things and I have other missed calls from different unknown numbers."

Another pause. "That bastard probably gave to a fangirl who started passing it around. I'm sending a car to get you. He may have given them your address." She heard his frustration in his voice.

"No, Seto! It's just my phone number. No one knows where I live besides you, Mai, my parents, and the landlord. I'll just call the phone company and ask them to change the number or something."

"I don't like this. Check outside and see if anyone is there." She did as he asked and sighed when she saw no one.

"It's clear. If people see one of your KC cars coming here and see me get into it, that's going to lead to a lot of speculation. I appreciate the concern, but I'll be fine. I'm going to go and see if I can get the gang together."

"Do you want me to be there? We said we would do this together."

"No, no. I know you're busy-"

"I can make time," he said forcefully.

"I know you can, but I think it would be better if I talk to them alone. I don't know if I could even get a few words out before Joey would blow up at seeing you there." She could already hear the screaming if the gang walked in and saw Seto Kaiba lounging on the couch.

He didn't respond for a minute or two. She knew he was weighing his options and the chances of convincing her to let him be there. "Fine," he said finally, "but only if you stay away from the Kame Game Shop. There's bound to be fangirls there," he warned. "Have them meet you at Mai's or something."

"I will, Seto. I-I miss you." They hadn't gotten to see each other much because of Seto's work. It always picked up in the summer because of the increased number of tournaments.

"I miss you too. I promise I'll see you tonight." With that, he disconnected the call. Téa sighed, knowing that this was way too much before she even had breakfast. It was Sunday, so she didn't have to teach which was helpful considering she could really use a mental health day. She felt like burrowing under the covers and never leaving. But she knew she had to talk to her friends. So, she sucked it up and called Mai.

******************

Yugi, Tristan, and Joey all agreed to meet Téa at Mai's in one hour. Duke said he had a business meeting he couldn't miss, but after making sure she was ok, he said he would get the details from her later. Thankful for the time to prepare, she showered, dressed and after a thought, grabbed a baseball hat and some large sunglasses as she made her way to Mai's apartment. When she arrived, she was nervous to find that everyone was already there. She had hoped she could talk to Mai before everyone got there to figure out what she should say, but no such luck.

Yugi was the first to jump up. "Téa!" He ran and gave her a hug. She felt tears brimming and hugged him back fiercely. He pulled back and tilted his head. "What's with the get up?" She laughed at the cute expression on his face as she took off her hat and glasses. Despite their looks, Atem and Yugi really were night and day. Yugi's still had an innocent look about him that she hoped he never lost.

"Trying to avoid getting mobbed." Before Yugi could ask what that meant, Tristan and Joey immediately surrounded her and started bombarding her with questions.

"Back off, you two! Geez, let the girl breath! How about a 'how are you?' before you start asking her questions," Mai yelled at them. Looking scolded, they both apologized and said that they were happy to see her. "Alright now, everyone sit down and we will all discuss this calmly," Mai said with a pointed look at Joey.

"What're you talkin' bout? I'm the most levelheaded guy 'round." Mai raised a brow. Joey shrugged. "Fine, second after Yugi." Mai rolled her eyes and scoffed.

They all settled on Mai's couches with Joey and Tristan on one couch and Téa and Yugi on the other with Mai standing up like a supervisor over the whole proceeding. Téa's nerves shot through the roof. I really hope they don't hate me, she thought.

"Look Téa," Joey began "we all saw what Atem said. Are you guys actually broken up?"

"Yes, Joey. I ended it last week," Téa replied, doing her best to keep her voice steady. Silence fell over the room as they all stared at her.

"Then," Yugi said hesitantly, "is what he said about you seeing someone else also true?"

Téa hesitated, but then nodded her head.

"WHAT?" Joey yelled. "What the hell is wrong with you? You've been with this guy for two years and you just throw it all away for some guy? This is the Pharaoh, we're talkin' 'bout. He's the best guy there is."

"Seriously Téa, what were you thinking? How could you do that to the poor guy? After all we've been through together," Tristan said chiming in, looking at her with an expression of disappointment. Téa noticed that Yugi hadn't said anything but was studying her carefully.

Joey continued on his rant, "And you call yourself his friend? How could you betray him like that? What, just so can have some other guy between your legs?" His voice continued to grow in volume, and he stood up abruptly. Téa shrunk back, feeling her tears beginning to come up. Joey opened his mouth to continue, but Mai cut him off.

"THAT'S ENOUGH JOEY WHEELER!" All three heads of the boys snapped to Mai. "You sit down, right now or I will make you. Shut up and listen to what she has to say. Because in five minutes, you'll realize what a complete and total moron you're being." Joey sat down in a huff and motioned for Téa to speak.

"I-It's not what it sounds like. Well, I guess it is, but it isn't the whole story." She told them what she had told Mai about Atem's cheating and how it had been going on for months with different women. She explained that she didn't say anything because of her own denial and fearing not only Atem's, but all their reactions. "I was anxious about telling you. I might not have said anything about his cheating to you all, until Atem made that statement. I need you to understand that this wasn't all black and white. I don't want you to think I threw the relationship away for no good reason. I know what I did was wrong, but I was in a lot of pain, not that it's any excuse. Se-he helped me a lot. He's part of the reason I left. I was totally miserable and when I realized just how unfair this was to all three of us, I knew I needed to leave. It was like I didn't even know who I was anymore. He helped me find myself again."

Joey looked at Mai and narrowed his eyes. "You knew about all this?"

Mai nodded. "She told me days ago. When I told you that I was getting my nails done, I was really helping Téa move out of her apartment."

"You-you moved out?" Yugi asked, eyes wide. Téa nodded.

"I can't believe this," Joey said. "I mean there has to be some kind of mistake. Atem wouldn't do stuff like that. That's not him. I'm sorry, Téa but you don't know the full story. It could be a total misunderstanding."

"Yea, I agree with Joey. There's no way he would do something like this." Tristan echoed. Téa hesitated. That was partly true. Atem had never actually confessed to the cheating. He just said that he had made mistakes. She hadn't really given him the chance for anything else. But, then again, she didn't need him to. She knew in her gut that she was right, and there was little misunderstanding in the texts she had read.

"I saw the texts, guys. Believe me, it's true," Téa said firmly.

Mai's eyes narrowed. "You're being awfully quiet Yugi." Téa looked over at him and saw that he was indeed staring down at the ground and not saying anything. He looked guilty.

"Look guys, I really hate to say this but I'm pretty sure it's true," Yugi said despondently. Téa's gut twisted. Had Yugi known? Granted she had known for months, but had Yugi known and not said anything to her?

"Did you know?" Mai spat. Yugi flinched. Mai was way too scary. Yugi glanced at Téa and then back down at the ground.

"Not for sure," he confessed, "when we were at a tournament about a month ago, I saw him at the bar with some woman. It-it looked like they were flirting. When I confronted him about it, he said that it was just some fangirl and it was totally harmless. I believed him until…until I saw the same woman leaving the hotel lobby with the same clothes on from the day before. She wasn't with him, but he came down a few minutes later. The whole thing felt off. But I thought I was being paranoid, I really never thought he would actually cheat." Yugi looked at her and said, "I'm so sorry, Téa. I should have told you."

Téa leaned over and squeezed his knee. "It's ok, Yugi. I'm not mad. If I hadn't already known, I probably wouldn't have believed you."

Yugi nodded and said "I know but I still should have come to you, even if was just my concerns. I love him. I do. But this past year – with the fame, and the money and the fangirls – it's all just gone to his head. I'm disappointed in myself every day for not actually defeating him in that duel." He would never say it aloud, but part of him thought Atem belonged in the afterlife. The guy was 5,000 years old. He deserved peace.

"Don't say that Yugi. You get a life with Atem. And he gets a normal life without saving the world every five minutes. I know things have gone sour between Atem and I, but there is still good in him. He's still the same man. And he loves you more than anything." Yugi blinked back some tears and took her hand in his.

"I-I owe you an apology Téa. I shouldn't have said those things to you. Mai's right, I'm a moron," Joey stammered out.

"Glad you've finally accepted it," Mai snarked. Tentative laughter filled the room.

"I just can't believe he would do this to you," Joey continued. "I'm really gonna give him a piece of my mind. I mean, this is a guy that I look up to. How could he do this to one of his closest friends?"

Téa could see the anger and devastation on Joey's face. "Joey," Téa sighed, "he's still the same man. Please, don't fight with him. Leave this between him and I. It's what's best for everyone."

"I'm sorry too Téa. We should have been more supportive," Tristan said. "But I have to ask, who is the guy that you're seeing and how the hell did that happen?"

Téa hesitated. She could tell them. But with the media currently blowing up, she was cautious to reveal Seto's identity to anyone else. Seto was a prominent businessman and famous duelist. She really didn't want to drag him into this mess any further than she already had. If word got out that it was Seto she had cheated on Atem with, the whole situation could go from bad to worse. Seto would take the fall and become the villain. She didn't think any of them would intentionally reveal Seto's involvement to hurt her, but she knew emotions were running high and even an accidental slip could cause everything to blow up in all their faces. Téa glanced at Mai, who shrugged, indicating that the decision was up to her.

"What the hell, does Mai know that too?" Joey exclaimed, catching the exchange.

"Some of us can keep our traps shut, Joey." He glared at his girlfriend.

"So," Tristan prompted, "who is it?"

Making up her mind, Téa said, "I'm really sorry guys but I can't tell you."

"WHAT?" Joey raised back to his feet, but Mai snapped to sit back down, and he complied.

"Why won't you tell us?" Yugi asked gently.

"It-it's not that I don't trust you guys, I do. But I also know that you guys are friends with Atem. And knowing who could put you in a very awkward position with him because Atem doesn't even know who. Look, it's not forever. It's just until this whole media circus is over. I don't want to drag him into this."

"Then why can Mai know?" Tristan asked.

"I told her because I needed someone to talk to and it just kind of came out. Like I said, it's not that I don't trust you, but understand that I'm trying to protect him. He's already done so much for me. I don't want reporters hassling him or his name to get dragged through the mud because of my actions. I'm just asking for you to wait a little bit and respect my judgment on this. This is my problem and I don't want to force you to keep secrets from Atem. He needs you too."

Finally, Yugi nodded. "We get it, Téa. I can't say I'm not curious, but I understand why you're doing this. But you can always talk to us. We all love him, but you're our friend too. Don't forget that."

"No, we're your friends Téa, your best friends. If you really trusted us, you would tell us. I don't understand why you're keeping this from us. Like you keep a lot of other things from us apparently." Joey's voice was calm, which made Téa more uneasy than when he was yelling.

"We don't keep secrets from each other Téa." Tristan said firmly. "After everything we've been through, how can you not trust us?"

"I told you, it's-"

"No, this is how all this started in the first place. The secrets. The lies. How can any of us trust you anymore? You kept quiet about Atem. Don't get me wrong, I'm pisst at him too, but you should've come to us. Instead, you kept us all in the dark. You even started your own affair. That's not the Téa I know. You've kept all this from us for who knows how long. Now, once again, you won't be honest with us. I don't want to hear it anymore. I'm sick of it," Joey snapped. "Let's go, Tris." Tristan followed as Joey stormed out towards the apartment door.

"Please Joey-" she pleaded. The door slammed as a response. She felt Yugi jump next to her. Tears began slipping over her cheeks.

"I'll talk to him," Mai consoled her. "He'll calm down. He's just upset right now with everything."

Téa nodded slowly. "I hope you're right."


	5. the Hunt Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally some smut.

Despite Téa's hope, neither the media nor her friends calmed down. Téa tried to call Joey and Tristan but neither of them would pick up when she called. Mai told her to give them a few days. Over the following days, rampant speculation was flying about who the mystery man was that swept away the King's Queen. It was all over the news. Things got even worse when she started having paparazzi calling her nonstop, asking for her to comment on her breakup with Atem. It was too risky to try and sneak her into the Kaiba mansion constantly. Reporters always kept an eye on the comings and goings of his house. Luckily, it seemed no one had discovered where she lived and her and Seto made do in her cramped studio.

But of course, things only escalated from there. Around, 9pm, she was locking up the dance studio after her last class and cleaning up. She should've checked outside first, but she had lowered her guard since no one had yet bothered her at work. Suddenly, an arm reached out and grabbed her.

"Téa Gardner! Is it true that you cheated on the King of Games?" She yanked her arm back but another arm grabbed her. She stumbled back as a recording device was thrust in her face.

"Leave me alone!" she snapped.

"Ms. Gardner, is it true that you had an affair? Who is the man you left the King for? Is it his cousin, Yugi Motou? Or his fiercest rival, Seto Kaiba?" She tensed at the name. Téa gulped as she realized she parked her car on the other end of the large parking lot so the parents and dancers could park in front of the studio.

The reporter, a middle-aged man with a tweed blazer, was still holding her arm. She tugged it from his grasp, but another reporter, this time a woman with a hot pink jacket blocked her path.

"How long have you been having this speculated affair?"

She scrambled around the woman and ran for her car. Luckily, she was extremely fit and managed to get inside just as the buzzards surrounded their prey. She realized there was now six reporters hounding her around her car and continued to yell names of random duelists, hoping she would confirm one. She started the car, hoping that they hadn't slashed her tires, and backed out of the parking space and took off out of the parking lot. Tears started to come as the adrenaline wore off. Thankful for the short commute, she tore out of the car after it was parked and fled inside her apartment. She breathed in heavily and started when she saw a figure get off her bed.

"Hey, it's just me." Seto came towards her. "What the hell happened?" She flew into his arms and bubbled out the story through her tears. She felt him stiffen and his muscles tense.

"Téa, we need to go. I'm taking you to my house. Pack what you need. I'll just buy anything else. We need to leave now." He wrenched himself from her and started digging into her small closet and pulled out her bag that she had first taken to his house when she broke up with Atem.

"Seto, we talked about this-"

"No!" he thundered. "No, I will not risk your safety! You could've gotten hurt, Téa!" He took a deep breath. "They probably tailed you here. There's going to be more of them by the morning. And even if they didn't, it's not a risk I'm willing to take. I don't care what they print. I just need you safe." He froze when he heard cars approaching. He looked out the window and cursed. "I was right, they followed you. There's no way I can get us out unseen."

He thought for a moment and only came up with one solution. "Téa call Yugi."

She gaped at him, sure she heard wrong. "What?"

Seto sighed, "Call Yugi. Have him come here. He can get you out of here without it causing too much of a scene. I know there's speculation about it being him, but your past with him will serve as enough basis for why he came here. Atem will still have no idea that it's me since he knows you weren't sleeping with Yugi. Even I know the pipsqueak wouldn't do something like that. I'll have a car meet him somewhere and you can get in that car and it'll take you to the mansion. The windows are tinted on all my cars, so they won't be able to see you. I know we said the mansion was risky, but I don't think we have much of a choice. I can keep the reporters off the property well enough until we can figure out what we're going to do. I'll meet you back at the mansion." He hated doing this. He hated asking for help. He hated to put her through this. But, if it meant she would be safer, he would do it.

"Are you sure about this Seto?" His heart broke as he looked at her scared face. His resolve hardened.

He nodded. "Yugi can be annoying, but he can keep his mouth shut. He won't sell us out."

"Why not Mai? She already knows about you."

"Because knowing the mutt, he'll insist on coming. He will definitely cause a scene."

Téa grimaced, knowing he was right. She called Yugi on her cell and told him about the reporters. He promptly flipped out, and once assured that she was indeed safe, told her he would be there in five minutes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Yugi was indeed shocked to find a dozen or so reporters milling about on the street with a cop already there to keep them off private property. Téa or the landlord must have called them when they saw strange men lurking on the street. As soon as they got sight of Yugi, they swarmed him, cameras started flashing and they started asking if he was the one sleeping with Téa. He fiercely snapped "Of course not!" at them. Rolling his eyes and pushing past them, the cop stopped the reporters once again when they hit the property line. He climbed up the steps and when he entered the house, he was shocked to find who was standing in front of him.

"I can see why you didn't tell us now," was the first thing out of Yugi's mouth. Seto Kaiba stood in Téa's small kitchen, arms crossed and a look of displeasure on his face. Kaiba rolled his eyes at the comment.

"Thank you for coming," Téa said, looking relieved, and embraced him in a hug. He pulled back quickly when he caught sight of Kaiba's angry frown.

"Anytime. You can trust me. I won't spill. I am going to need this story, but we can do that later. I'm assuming you have a plan," Yugi rambled looking at Kaiba.

Kaiba nodded. "You're going to take Téa and leave. Take as many turns as possible and make sure you're not being followed. My car is going to meet you by the docks. Téa will get in that car and take her to my place. I can keep the reporters at bay there, at least for now. Security won't let them on the grounds. As long as she's not seen coming and going, they shouldn't get wind of her being there. Now that they have her address and phone number, they're only going to push harder."

Yugi looked at Téa in surprise. "They have your phone number? Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because she didn't want to tell you who gave it to them," Kaiba snapped. Yugi's eyes widened at the insinuation and opened his mouth to protest that Atem wouldn't do that but then quickly shut it noticing how tense Kaiba was.

After a beat of silence, Yugi asked, "What about your staff?"

"They're required to sign non-disclosure agreements. Anything that happens in my house, stays in my house. I would ensure they never work again and take everything they owned before they even blinked if they leaked anything." Ok, Yugi thought, harsh but effective. Then he remembered who he was talking to.

"Why not just wait them out? Why call me?"

Kaiba sighed in annoyance at all the questions. "Because they'll wait all night if they have to. The whole mystery has grabbed the whole city's attention and they all want to be the one who gets the name. I'd rather she leaves with someone that she can trust now than wait. That single policeman will not hold them back forever. They'll be looking into the windows soon enough which would of course, lead to the discovery that it's me. Then the real shitstorm would begin. You have no idea what they're capable of. Not like I do."

There was beat of silence as Yugi absorbed this information.

"I'm just going to go to the bathroom before we go. I need to grab a couple more things," Téa said softly.

An awkward silence filled the room as the door to the bathroom shut.

"Thank you for doing this." Yugi almost passed out from shock. Seto Kaiba was thanking him? Their relationship had improved since their Battle City days, but that didn't mean they were that friendly with each other. "Don't look so shocked. And if you tell anyone I thanked you, I will deny it. But her safety is the most important thing right now. I don't care if they end up finding us out at this point as long as she's safe." Yugi blinked. Seto Kaiba thinking of others? Was this actually Seto Kaiba or a nicer clone of him?

Getting over his shock, he asked, "Why don't you just go public?"

Kaiba sighed. "Believe me, I want to. But if we do, it's only going to make it that much worse for her. If there had been no speculation about her cheating on Atem, we could've gone public in a few months without a lot of attention. But since there is, and they find out that she was having an affair with Atem's biggest rival, the media will never let it go. She'll be accused of trying to give me an unfair advantage or some nonsense for me to beat Atem in a duel or the other way around. She's already been receiving death threats from deranged fangirls and they'll call her even worse names than what they already have. It's better for them to either not know who it is, assume the guy she's seeing is a nobody and lose interest, or the most unlikely instance, think Atem was lying. But if we come out now, they'll completely destroy her. Not to mention, that bastard will use the fact that she was having an affair with me to his advantage and play the victim card."

Yugi paused. "I hate to say this, I do, but couldn't we reveal about Atem's cheating?"

Kaiba shook his head. "Maybe, but it could backfire. It's not a chance I'm willing to take with her. It'll get into the 'he said, she said' thing. It'll just make her look petty. Atem has the fame and the people's love. Téa doesn't have that. So, he gets to control what the story is, and he knows how to play the game. He already took advantage by making that statement. He's using the media to try and find out who she was having the affair with. I didn't want to say this in front of her," Kaiba glanced toward the bathroom door and lowered his voice, "but it would be helpful if Atem was spotted with another woman. Then the whole 'woo is me' act is up, and they'll focus on his new love interest rather than his old one."

Yugi nodded, understanding his point. "Maybe I can help with that."

Kaiba raised a brow. "How?"

"Look Atem is like a brother to me, but he has his faults just like everyone else. I hate what he did to her. I'm even madder if what you said is true about him giving out her phone number. Right now, she's taking all the heat and not just from the media. If I can help, I will. I'll see if I can convince Atem to go out on a public date or something. Tell him it'll be a good way to start moving on from her. That way, like you said, they'll shift their focus."

"Who knew you could be so devious Yugi?" Yugi started when he realized that Kaiba had called him by his name and not "runt" or "shrimp."

Just then the bathroom door reopened, and Téa stepped out with her bag. "Ok, ready." She walked over to Kaiba and gave him a peck, causing Yugi to gag and Kaiba to glare at him. Téa and Yugi stepped towards the door. "Ready?" he asked. At her nod, he opened the door.

They were immediately bombarded by flashes of cameras as they stepped out. Apparently, word at gotten out that Yugi had come to her house and caused even more reporters to come. The poor single policeman didn't stand a chance. They surged forward and pushed the poor man over. Yugi and Téa were able to make it down the stairs, but then they were in the pod of sharks.

Yugi shoved them back and they slowly made their way towards Yugi's car. Téa focused on the feel of Yugi's hands in hers and gripped tightly to it like a lifeline. She heard bits and pieces of questions about why she left Atem for another man, if it was Yugi, and how she felt about sleeping with cousins. She felt panic gnawing at her throat, and she wished, not for the first time, that they would just leave her alone.

They tried to move as quickly as possible to Yugi's car, holding their hands above their eyes, gripping onto each other, and ignoring the million questions that were yelled at them. They successfully made it to his car and reporters threw themselves against the windows. Téa flinched as one man pressed his face to the glass, fogging up the window, and asking if she had ever slept with Yugi and Atem at the same time. Yugi started the car angerly and revved the engine. The predators stumbled back as the car began to move jerkily, as Yugi tried to run anyone over. Once he was clear, he gunned it, driving out into the night.

"Well that was fun," Yugi said sarcastically.

*****************

To Seto's credit, the plan did work. The reporters immediately followed the direction of where Yugi's car went and Seto was able to slip out undetected after they left. The two lovers met at the mansion with no one the wiser, at least for now.

The next morning, Seto woke to kisses being placed on his chest. He moaned when he felt his cock being stroked and lips sucking on his hip bone. Téa grinned up at him when he opened his eyes and he wound his fingers through her hair. Then, she continued her journey downwards. She felt a stab of satisfaction when she heard him gasp her name as she took him in her mouth. One hand wrapped around his base, while the other massaged his balls between her fingers and she swirled her tongue around his tip, tasting the precum that had leaked out. He moaned her name again when she began to bob her head up and down his shaft while making different patterns with her tongue. Seto gripped the sheets in one hand as he felt his cock going in and out of her sweet, warm mouth. When he began to feel a familiar tingle in his spine, he gently pulled her head up until she released him with a pop and brought her mouth to his.

"I want to be inside you when I cum." His voice was still husky from sleep and it sent a delightful shiver down her spine. He flipped them so that he was on top as he kissed her again and trailed his fingers down until he felt her wetness. She gasped as he stroked a finger over her center and moved down to take a dusty pink nipple in his mouth. She gripped his hair and arched her back, begging for more. He released one nipple and then moved to give the other the same attention and slipped a finger inside of her as he did.

"Oh, God," Téa moaned.

"Just Seto will do," he said cheekily. Téa rolled her eyes, but then did gasp his name as he slipped another finger inside her while rubbing her clit with his thumb. He could tell her frustration was growing as he lazily pumped his finger in and out of her while kissed her neck.

"Seto," Téa moaned in frustration, moving her hips desperately to try and get more friction.

"Is there something you want?" he grinned against her skin.

She huffed. "Yea, for you to stop being a tease."

He stopped his hand and just held them inside of her. "Only if you ask nicely." She glared. He raised an eyebrow. He slowly retracted his fingers, only to quickly shove them back in. He ignored his own cock that was throbbing with need. He loved to hear her beg.

"Please," Téa gasped. He did it again.

"Please what?" One more time. She shook her head. She would not give him the satisfaction, even if it would lead to hers. Seto lightly curled his fingers, pressing against that one spot inside her. She whimpered in need. Screw it.

"Please fuck me Seto." He grinned and swiftly removed his fingers, to which she moaned in protest. A second later, she was moaning his name instead when he swiftly turned her onto her stomach, lifted her hips and slammed into her from behind. Téa moved onto her elbows and arched her back as she felt him slowly pull out before ramming back into her.

"Fuck Téa, you feel amazing," Seto groaned. He loved having her like this. He loved to watch as his cock entered her over and over as her ass jiggled from the force of his thrusts. She spread her legs wider causing him to sink deeper into her when he next entered her. She let out another gasp of pleasure as his cock brushed her in just the right spot, sending a tingling sensation throughout her core. He began to drive himself into her, holding onto her hips tightly, her breasts bouncing with each thrust.

"Harder, Seto," Téa demanded. He happily obliged and snapped his hips into her brutally. Seto gave her ass a hard smack causing her to gasp in surprise. He let out a primal growl and smacked her again, giving her right ass cheek and nice cherry hue. Téa felt a sharp burst of pleasure and moaned loudly.

"A-again," Téa gasped. She could feel the pressure inside her building, each smack bringing her closer to sweet oblivion. Seto grabbed both her ass cheeks and squeezed hard before his left hand came down her left cheek this time. He plunged into her without abandon, holding her ass for leverage, and began to feel his own orgasm coming on. He snapped his hips harder and stroked that spot inside of her again and again. He gave her ass one last hard smack causing her orgasm to overtake her. She screamed his name as she her walls fluttered around him and her toes curled. His thrusts became erratic as he felt her walls quiver around him and moaned at the sudden rush of wetness to surrounding his cock. He couldn't hold back the pleasure any longer and came inside her a moment later, groaning loudly while she milked him dry. They stayed like that for a moment, breathing heavy, before he reluctantly slipped out of her. He collapsed on his back next to her while she laid on her stomach, panting.

Seto looked over at the beauty next to him and said cheekily, "You should wake me up like that every morning." She smacked in the chest as her response.


	6. Rivals

Seto and Téa managed to get into a routine that kept Téa's presence at the mansion a secret. If she had to leave the house, she would leave with Seto when he went to work, and they would drop her off at a discreet location with either Yugi or Mai to pick her up. Téa was worried for her job when reporters started hanging around the studio, but the owner assured her that her job was safe and that the police would keep them away from the studio. She felt awful about the hassle, but she was happy to still be employed. Seto tried to convince her to let him hire a bodyguard, but she claimed that it would only make things worse and attract more attention and was able to appease him somewhat when she showed him her pepper spray. He was still not happy.

Kaiba sat at his desk typing away furiously on his laptop. He was frustrated. Well, actually that was an understatement. The Board of Directors were on his back about the next summer tournament and concern over the development of the new duel disks. He told them all to go jump out a window. Having the fear of being discovered by the media regarding his relationship to Téa only caused his stress to hit new heights and his already thin patience to become nonexistent.

"Sir," his secretary buzzed him, "I have a Mr. Motou here to see you." Assuming it was Yugi wanting to discuss Atem or Téa, he told her to let him in. He was surprised, when instead the other Motou walked in. Kaiba immediately felt his anger rise in his chest and his shoulders tense, but he forced himself not to show any kind of emotion other than his usual annoyance toward the former pharaoh. He couldn't let him know about his relationship with Téa. Seto wouldn't allow any further harm to come to her because of his or Atem's actions.

"What do you want?" Kaiba kept his voice steady and detached. He forced himself to keep his eyes on the computer screen.

"Well, good morning to you too Kaiba," Atem snarked as he walked through the office door.

"I don't have time for pleasantries. Say what you want and get out."

Atem strolled into the expansive office like he owned the place. He causally glanced out the glass pane windows that looked over Domino. Kaiba felt his ire rise as he continued to wait for an answer and his typing became harder on the keyboard. "Speak, Atem."

Atem raised a brow. "Well, as you know the Duel Academy is having the scholarship tournament in a couple months. As one of the head instructors, they wanted me to oversee the tournament."

"I'm aware of that, now get out."

Atem tsked at him. "Now Kaiba, don't get snippy. The board at the school just wants to know of your plans for the tournament." Kaiba glared at his girlfriend's ex and kept typing. Oh, how Kaiba wanted to throw him out the window that he had just been looking out of.

"They'll be sent over next week. Now, leave." Kaiba turned back to his computer to make it clear he was done talking. If Atem was in this room any longer, he might just blow.

Kaiba tried to not clench his fists when Atem began speaking again. "Kaiba," Atem plopped in the chair in front of his desk, "I have a problem." Kaiba restrained himself from slamming Atem's head against his desk.

"The great and mighty Atem actually has an issue he can't solve?" Kaiba replied sarcastically, "As much as I enjoy your pain, I'm very busy. Out." He had a feeling he knew what his problem was.

"I'm sure you've heard about me and Téa," Atem said ignoring him.

Inhale. Exhale. "I don't care about such petty things."

Atem sighed, ignoring the CEO again. "I want to talk to her, but no one will tell me where she is. She must be hiding out with that man. I can't believe she left me for some nobody. Our love was something poets would serenade about, and some viper thinks he can come in and just steal her away from me," he spat.

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "You really need to tone down on the dramatics."

Atem glared at him which Kaiba ignored. "You know that I don't lose, Kaiba."

Kaiba's pride began to rear its head as he chuckled and said "You mean to tell me that the illustrious King of Games lost his girlfriend to someone else? It seems to me that Gardner finally gained some sense. However, I have bigger issues to concern myself with other than your love life."

"Watch it, Kaiba." Atem shifted in the chair and crossed his legs. "I just want to know who the bastard is. I like to know who I'm competing against. How about I make a deal with you? Perhaps you could help me, and in return, we could have another duel."

Kaiba glanced at him and raised a brow. "And just what are you suggesting I do, Atem?"

Atem gave him a smirk. "We both know you have your ways. I just need a name."

The sound of typing filled the office as Kaiba acted like he was mulling the decision over. So that's why he was really here. Atem must really be desperate to resort to this.

Finally, Kaiba responded and said, "I'm going to pass. I'm not going to waste my company's resources on some lover's spat."

Atem sighed and said, "Have it your way." Kaiba resisted the urge to smirk when he heard the annoyance in Atem's voice. "You're lucky, you're single, Kaiba." Atem continued, "Women are complicated. Yes, I slept with a few women during our relationship, but I just couldn't help myself. It was perfectly natural to have multiple partners and wives in my time. Silly of the world to stop that tradition."

Kaiba's left eye twitched. Luckily, Atem had been staring out the window and missed it. "Actually," Kaiba began, deciding to listen to his ego and not his head, "I'm seeing someone." He stopped typing, leaned back in his office chair, and wound his fingers together. Kaiba really looked at Atem for the first time since he entered his's office. He didn't care and quite frankly, Kaiba thought he deserved it, but Atem really had seen better days. He looked tired, his clothes were rumpled and one blonde hair that always magically seemed to stick up, was sagging off to the side. It looked ridiculous.

Atem looked surprised, not just at the revelation, but at the fact that Kaiba had actually shared something with him. "Who is she?"

"None of your concern."

"Come now, I can give you tips on how to keep her pleased." Atem gave him a Cheshire grin.

"Believe me, I don't need help in that department. I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing her scream my name. She always says I please her more than any other man ever had. Her ex is a total douche. He's been causing her some grief, but I'll deal with him soon enough." Kaiba couldn't resist the smug smirk that formed this time. Oh, this was fun.

"I am sure you will, Kaiba. The poor fool." The irony made Kaiba feel so much better. "I have a feeling we will both be able to defeat our opponents in the game of love."

"I seriously doubt that. Now, if you're done wasting my time, get out of my office."

"Fine, fine Kaiba. If you ever need advice regarding your woman, you know where to find me." He winked at Kaiba as he rose from the chair. Kaiba pictured himself ripping that eye out of its socket. After Atem left the office, Kaiba buzzed his secretary.

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba?"

"Next time," he growled, "specify which Mutou is here."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After receiving an aggressive phone call from Kaiba, telling Yugi to speak to Atem now after his visit to Kaiba's office, Yugi couldn't push off the conversation with Atem any longer. He entered the apartment with the spare key and grimaced when he saw that it was disgusting. Normally, Atem was very structured in maintaining order in his apartment, but clearly that had gone out the window.

"Atem?" Yugi called out. "Are you here?" He heard a giggle in the bedroom and then the distinct sound of the Pharaoh's voice. Yugi rolled his eyes. Great. "Come out Atem, I want to talk to you."

He heard movement from down the hallway, so he figured he might as well be useful and wash some of the stack of dishes in the sink while he waited. When he caught sight of mold, he dismissed that thought and decided that Atem was a big boy and could wash his own damn dishes. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the counter, while a thin brunette emerged of Atem's bedroom in a small pink dress, carrying her black heels in her hand. Atem emerged a second later, shirtless with low hanging gray sweats on his hips and wrapping his arm around the girl's waist, whispered something in her ear that made her giggle.

"Sometime today, Atem." Yugi said, not bothering to disguise the irritation in his voice.

"Don't be rude, Yugi," Atem replied smoothly. He whispered something else in her ear that made her glance at Yugi and giggle again. Yugi took a deep breath in through his nose to try and keep his temper in check. Finally, Atem opened the front door and the girl gave him a kiss that made Yugi highly uncomfortable and said, "Call me!" before Atem shut the door in her face.

Atem turned to him and smiled, "Good to see you Yugi. How's the shop?"

"I'm not here for small talk, brother. I'm here to talk about-" he gestured around the room "-this."

"I'll admit that I've been lax in cleaning."

"There's mold in the sink."

"Fine, I haven't cleaned at all." Atem sighed. "You clearly have something to say so just say it," Atem said coolly.

Yugi could tell the defenses were rising. He had to play this right.

"I wanted to talk about you and Téa. She-"

"There is no more me and Téa," Atem snapped.

"That may be true, but I know you still care about her. She's being harassed by reporters, Atem. I had to go get her in the middle of the night because they were camping outside of her apartment. She's had to abandon it for now."

"Oh? And where, may I ask is she staying now?" Atem was studying him closely.

"With a friend." It wasn't a lie. Atem hummed. "Somehow some fanatics of yours and the reporters even snagged her phone number." Anyone else would have missed it, but not Yugi. He saw the slight twitch of Atem's eyebrow although the rest of his expression remained blank. Kaiba had been right. His stomach plummeted.

"That is unfortunate. Not sure what I can do about it though. She's not my girlfriend."

"She is your friend."

"She was sleeping with someone else. She chrated on me." Atem's tone took on a dangerous edge and he crossed his arms across his naked chest. Yugi paused. He could see that Atem was hurt, despite his own part in this whole mess. Yugi saw the dark circles under his eyes and even if he tried to hide it, the pain in them. He couldn't help but feel his defenses rise for Téa though. It was Atem's own doing that drove her into, although unknowing to him, Kaiba's arms.

Yugi grit his teeth and hissed out, "Don't go there, Atem. We both know that's rich coming from you." Atem shrugged.

"I can sleep with whoever I want now. I'm single." Probably wasn't the best thing to say to Yugi at the moment.

"You weren't before," his voice dropping, taking on a frosty tone. Atem stiffened. Yugi wasn't sure if it was because he hadn't known that Téa had told them about the cheating or if it was because he hadn't thought she would. "I'm not here to argue about this. What's done is done. But now, you need to get yourself together. Maybe go on a date that isn't in the bedroom."

Atem grinned wolfishly. "But those are the best kind." Yugi kept himself from rolling his eyes.

"I'm serious, Atem. This isn't healthy. Clean this apartment, take a shower and start moving on." Atem's eyes narrowed.

"Why are you pushing this Yugi?" Warning bells went off in Yugi's head.

"My concern for you and your well-being." He tried to use a "duh" tone of voice. While it was true and he didn't want Atem to be stuck in this rut, he also needed to push Téa's interest forward. Atem's violet eyes continued to study him. Yugi tried to keep his face passive.

Atem's posture became more down turned and his eyes drifted to the ground. "How is Téa?" The sudden change in demeanor took Yugi by surprise. He hesitated. This was a dangerous question. If he answered wrong, it could make create an unfavorable result. If he told him she was moving on, it could cause him to do the same, but it could also result in raising Atem's anger and push him to do something that would hurt Téa.

"She's doing alright," he said neutrally.

Atem walked over to the fridge and pulled out a water bottle. Yugi studied his back, trying to figure out what he would say next. Atem turned back around to face him and placed the water bottle on the counter. Yugi could see him hesitate.

"Do-do you know where she is? I wanted to talk to her." Atem's mask cracked and Yugi could see desperation there. His heart jolted when he realized that Atem did still love her, but then why had he been so unfaithful? "Do you know if she's still seeing that man? If she would just leave him, we might be able to work things out." Yugi's fists clenched at the broken sound of him.

"Atem," Yugi began slowly, "I-I can see if she'll talk to you. But…I think it best that you both move forward separately." Atem's head jerked up and stared at Yugi. Yugi gulped as he saw a flash of anger in his eyes. The warning bells were now at a full blare.

Atem moved around the counter and approached him till he was only a few steps away. "Why do you keep saying that I should move on? Whoever she's seeing certainly can't compare to what Téa and I shared." Atem asked aggressively.

Yugi kept a passive face. His poker face would never be as good as Atem's or Kaiba's but it worked. "It's what's best, Atem. For all our sakes. Téa's made her decision." Suddenly, Atem grabbed Yugi's arm.

"Do you know who it is?" Atem's violent eyes were raving with anger and pain. There was a feral look in his features that seemed unnatural to the normally collected man. This was not where Yugi had wanted the conversation to turn.

Panic rose in Yugi's chest and he gulped. "Look, it doesn't matter. She's-she seems to be happy… It's not who I would have expected-" Yugi shut his mouth. Shit.

"You do know! Did she put you up to this? Try and convince me to move on so she can finally come out with her little fuck toy?" Atem's voice was growing in volume and his grip was tightening. Yugi felt a sting of fear when he saw the untamed look in his friend's eyes. Then anger overtook his fear at Atem's disrespect of Téa.

Yugi ripped his arm away and spat "She doesn't even know I'm here."

"But you know!" Atem thundered. "Tell me, Yugi! Who is it? Who took her away from me?"

"Back off! Why does it even matter who?"

"I will not be bested! I can win her back! I just need to know who I am facing! Tell me Yugi! I need to know!"

"It's your own fault!" Yugi yelled, losing control, "This isn't some game Atem! You pushed her away! You cheated on her! And you lied to me about that woman at the tournament! I know you did! She's found someone else Atem! You should too! You definitely have before!" He stormed out of the kitchen and out of the apartment, ignoring Atem's cries to tell him who his opponent is.

*******************

Kaiba sighed as he listened to Yugi through the phone in his office. He leaned back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. The conversation had not gone well, and he hadn't convinced Atem to go out somewhere public on a date. Yugi explained that Atem was obsessed with knowing who the man was.

"This isn't good, Kaiba. I'm worried he's going to go back to the press, so they'll keep pursuing this. If they find out it's you, it's going to be a massacre."

Kaiba cursed. "Just keep me updated. We'll just have to deal with that if he does."

"Um Kaiba? I think we're going to have to deal with it now."

Kaiba's eyebrows furrowed. "Why?"

"Turn on the TV." Kaiba grabbed the remote from his desk and turned on the TV that was on his back wall. The news came up and made his stomach sink.

"-game Duel Monsters has turned into a real duel for love. Atem Mutou, renowned duelist, when asked about his ex's rumored affair, confirmed that the she did actually have an affair and said that he had no idea who it was with. He stated, and I quote "I have no idea who she was seeing. I don't even know when it started. I've asked her and some friends, but no one will tell me anything. I just want some answers." Kaiba shut it off, not be able to bear hearing any more.

This just took it to a whole other level. Now, every reporter is going to be hounding them, trying to figure out who it was, even more persistently then before now that the affair was confirmed. Every reporter would be trying to be the one to crack the mystery. Kaiba felt like banging his head on his desk. Why the fuck did people even care? Who cares about her love life? He hated people.

"I'm going to kill him," Kaiba growled. "We may as well go public at this point. At least then we can control some of what is being said rather than just letting Atem just have free rein over what's happening."

Kaiba heard a crash on the other end of the line. "How the hell did this even happen?" He heard Yugi take a calming breath. "Look, in the end it's your decision, but maybe I can talk him into making another statement telling the press to stop hounding her and he wants to talk to her himself."

"Because that worked so well the last time?" Kaiba snapped. "I need to go; I have to figure out where Téa is. Hopefully, she's at my house and isn't in public." Yugi told him to keep him updated and hung up. This day couldn't get any worse. He breathed in and thought about what the hell he was going to tell Téa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally a scene between Atem and Kaiba. Now things are really starting to heat up.


	7. Arguments

"Maybe if I talk to him, I can reason with him," Téa pleaded. "I can get him to back off."

"Seriously? He's going to demand you tell him, no matter what you say. Hell, I'll tell him myself. I'm done with this Téa. It's not in my nature to sit back. Let me deal with him and the media."

They were arguing in the living room of the mansion and they kept going in circles.

"It's time we went public. With everyone breathing down our necks, we're bound to get caught. It's better if we come out ourselves, that way we can control the narrative. Atem's been in control this whole time and it's about time that we are!" Seto yelled heatedly.

"What about the company, Seto? They'll paint you as a villain! What will your shareholders think? You could lose customers! Atem is loved in the Duel Monsters world, what if people stop buying from you?" Téa argued.

"Please," he scoffed, "I have so much dirt on the shareholders, I could make a pig farm out of it. Besides, it won't be the first time there's been negative press about me. At least this time, it'll actually be true. And the company will be fine. People want the best in Duel Monsters, and Kaiba Corp. provides that. They don't care about my love life; they care about winning duels. You are who I'm concerned about. The woman always gets the short end of the stick in this kind of situation. It's unfair, but that's how it is."

She rubbed her temples in frustration. "Let me think about it. I still think I should talk to Atem. When I tell him it's you, I can make him promise that he'll leave you out of this."

"Not if I'm not there. Yugi told me about his conversation with him, Téa. He's not doing well and based from what I saw when he came to my office, he's obsessed. If you finally tell him that it's me, I'm worried it'll push him over the edge, and he'll lash out at you. I need to be there to protect you," he stated firmly.

"But if I talk to him, maybe I can prevent that. He wants answers. I can provide them. Maybe if I tell him alone, he'll rant and rave and then he'll move on. And he won't go back to the press."

Seto crossed his arms over his broad chest. "I'm sorry, are we talking about the same guy? Yes, I'm sure after a few minutes of yelling, he'll be totally ok with losing his girlfriend to his biggest rival that dates back to ancient times," Seto said sarcastically. Téa rolled her eyes at him.

"I thought those were all just some hocus-pocus, cheap tricks Seto," she snapped.

"Don't start with me." Seto sat down on the black leather couch and crossed his legs. "If you want to talk to him, fine but I'll be there with you. That's final. Otherwise, we're going to lay low. I'm hoping that if I can make some discreet calls, I can get some of the reporters to back off. I'm going to leave a few false tips that you've left Domino. I'll start strategizing on the best way for us to come out publicly as a couple. One that won't completely destroy our reputations."

Téa glared at him, hands on her hips and he returned it. "Fine." She stormed up the stairs. He sighed mournfully. He won't be getting laid tonight.

************************

The next day, Téa stared at her old apartment door. Seto may be her boyfriend, but he's doesn't make her decisions. He couldn't control her. If she thought talking to Atem alone would help, then she was going to. She had been extremely cautious while out in public. She had Roland sneak her out the back way and met Mai, who reluctantly drove her to her old apartment.

She braced herself and knocked. She could hear the TV, so obviously he was home. She heard movement on the other side and then the door opened.

Atem scowled at her when he saw her. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk."

"So, now you want to talk. Fine," he waved his hand and moved aside, "you may enter." She hesitated, but steeled her nerves and walked in, glancing at him. He looked terrible. Seto had been telling the truth when he said he hadn't been doing well. Dark circles laid under his eyes, he had scruff like he hadn't shaved in days and his face looked worn-out. She jumped when the door slammed behind her.

"So," he gestured with his hand, "speak."

"L-look I know that things ended badly. We both made mistakes. But please, for both our sakes and our friends, leave it out of the press. They've been hounding me and them nonstop. I had to leave my apartment and I've been getting calls from random people. This situation has just gotten out of control. Let's just sit down and talk this out. I know we can work it out between us."

Téa saw the anger leave from his body as his shoulders sagged. "Téa," his deep voice broke, "I made mistakes. But I-I can change. Let me make it up to you. We can go out to dinner tonight to that new place across town. We were happy together. We can be that again if you'd give me a chance."

His hand reached for her cheek, but she took a step back and shook her head. "You misunderstand me. I don't want to get back together."

His face grew dark and his hand dropped. "Then, why are you here?"

"B-because I don't want it to be this way between us. We're always going to see each other because of Yugi and the others. A-and you do mean a lot to me. We've been through so much together," she said softly.

"The others are angry with me."

"I can't control that. They're angry with me too. But, they're still your friends. They care about you. They're worried about you." He remained silent. "I'm just asking that you not say any more to the press. If they ask, then say we worked things out between us and are staying friendly. I want us to remain friends. I know that it'll take time, but I believe we can get there."

Atem crossed his arms over his chest and gazed at her intently. "Téa, I don't want to be just friends. I want you back as my girlfriend." He gave her a tentative smile. "We can rebuild what we had. I can take some time off from the Academy and we can spend some time focusing on us."

Téa swallowed. She knew some part of her heart would always be marked by Atem. These were things she always wanted to hear coming from him. She knew it wouldn't last though. It would be nice for a time, just like it had been before, before he ventured off to some other woman. Plus, Seto was the one who now held her heart.

She released a breath and said, "No, Atem. That isn't what I want anymore. Maybe before…but not now."

Atem's face returned to his former glare. "Because of this man?"

She stiffened. "Atem-"

"The man that you had this affair with or I'm presuming it was only him. Maybe there were others that you're not telling me about."

She took a breath and held her temper in check. "It was only him and yes, I'm still with him."

Atem's eyes flashed with fury. "So you found what you wanted with him? Why can't you find that with me? Whoever this is, he can't compare to what I have with you. Why don't you just tell me who it is, and I'll speak with him. Perhaps we can reach some form of understanding."

She could feel fear creeping into her chest. Téa did not like the sound of this. She was sure that the "understanding" Atem was talking about was not the kind of "understanding" that she was thinking of. She knew Seto could handle himself. She never doubted that. But she loathed to bring him any further into this. His name, his company could get crucified because of her. She didn't want that, despite Seto's reassurances that it would be fine.

"I-I need to know that you won't involve the press in this if I tell you. I need you to give me your word."

"Perhaps," his voice was menacing, "Téa, the name."

Téa shook her head. "T-then I won't give it to you."

"I'm going to find out, Téa. One way or another."

"I-I don't think-"

"I don't care what you think!" he thundered. "If you won't give me the name, then we can't be friends. I won't be humiliated by some whore!" Téa shook her head and stepped back in fear of the rage he was displaying. She had never seen him like this. His arms were gesturing uncontrollably, teeth gnashing. "I demand that you tell me!" He lunged and grabbed her by the shoulders. "I need to know!" She pushed at his chest, trying to get him off her.

"Atem please-" her voice shook.

"No, Téa! I won't stop! Just tell me!" She saw tears brimming his eyes, but they remained savage.

"Stop, please-"

She wasn't sure what made him pause, but he froze suddenly and released her shoulders, his expression unreadable. "Go," he said, completely void of emotion.

She turned and fled the apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it's short but we're getting to the good stuff soon.


	8. Her Cover is Blown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And some more smut because I can.

Seto had not been happy when she returned to the mansion. In fact, he was giving her the silent treatment for two hours so far. She didn't even bother asking how he knew where she had been. The man knew everything that went on in Domino.

"Can you please, just say something?" He continued to ignore her as he typed furiously on the computer in his home office. She continued to tap her foot in impatience. "This is ridiculous! Stop acting like a petulant child!"

His hands slammed on the desk as he stood making Téa jump. "I'm the one acting like a child? You lied to me! You said you wouldn't go without me and you did! And lo and behold, he hasn't backed down! In fact, Mokuba just informed me that Atem made some calls to reporters and told them you may have been having an affair with more than one man! He's lost it Téa!" His hands gestured wildly as he came around from his desk.

Well, she had wanted Seto to talk to her.

"I thought I could help Seto! I thought I could calm him down! If you were there, it would make everything worse and who knows what he would do?"

"Well, it couldn't have hurt! He's stirring up the media even more! He has to find out about us eventually Téa! It's only a matter of time with them breathing down our necks! I won't keep hiding! It's time for us to go public. He-" Seto had come around the desk and was pacing wildly back and forth like caged animal.

"You're right." Seto stopped dead in his tracks at her words.

"Of course, I am," he snapped.

"We'll tell him," she said, ignoring his comment, "after Joey's birthday dinner." Joey's birthday was in four days and Mai had planned a nice dinner out for everyone. "Joey and Tristan are still mad at me, but Mai is insisting that I go. Atem is not going to stop with this until he knows. But he'll be at the dinner as well and I don't want to create an explosion with the news that I'm in a relationship with you. Atem wouldn't be the only one blowing a gasket." She approached Seto and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'm tired of hiding too. The day after the dinner. I promise. You can deal with the media as you see fit. I trust you."

"Glad you finally realized that I was right." She rolled her eyes at him but smiled. "I love you," Seto said softly as he brushed a piece of hair back from her face and cupped her cheek.

Téa's breath hitched at the confession, blinking back tears. "I-I love you too." Seto leaned down and kissed her passionately. Téa wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down so she could deepen the kiss. He groaned when she opened her mouth and tongue eagerly tangled with hers. He spun her around and pushed her against his desk, kissing her more aggressively. Her hands moved down his chest feeling his muscles flex until they stopped at his belt which she grabbed to pull him fully against her. He detached his mouth from hers, pushing her hair back and then attaching his lips to her neck. Téa moaned as he sucked just below her ear before moving and sucking on her earlobe. She ground her hips into his, feeling him harden against her hip.

She grabbed his neck, feeling the tendons there and pulled his mouth back to hers. He grunted as he pulled back, "We should move this somewhere else." She nodded eagerly and he picked her up bridal style, making her yelp in surprise, and took long strides down the hallway to his bedroom.

He laid her gently on the dark blue sheets, kicking of his shoes before crawling on top her and kissing her deeply. She started fumbling with the buttons of his shirt, managing to get halfway down, before he took over and removed his shirt, tossing it on the ground behind him. He reached for her blouse and pulled it off her, getting rid of the offending garment. She sat up to meet his mouth again and he took the opportunity to unhook her bra with one hand and pull it off with the other. They both moaned as their naked flesh met and Seto ran his hands up her ribcage before kneading her breasts with both his hands. He ran his mouth open mouthed down her neck and collarbone and she shivered as she felt his breath ghost her skin. His fingers played with her nipples causing her back to arch and a gasp to escape. He took one breast in his mouth and sucked as her hands went to the soft hair on his head and pulled. He moved to lavish the other one as his hands roamed her sides and thighs. He released it with a pop and began placing kisses down her stomach and over his belly button. Seto unbuttoned her jeans and before peeling them and her panties off her legs.

He trailed lazy kisses from behind her knee and up her thighs until she could feel his breath on her sex. He tortuously gave a slow lick to her center before completely burying his head between her thighs. She released a soft cry at the sudden pleasure that overtook her body. Téa ran her hands through his soft, brown hair before tugging lightly on the strands as she let out breathy moans. He lightly sucked on her clit before using his expert tongue and whirled it around the bundle of nerves. She could feel her orgasm beginning to build as he spread her thighs farther to give him more room. Téa could feel his tongue inside of her before retreating and returning his attention back to her clit. Seto pushed one finger inside of her before adding another and then another. He slowly pumped them in and out of her while playing with her clit.

Téa tugged desperately on his hair as her other hand twisted in the sheets. She just needed a little push. "Please…Seto…" He smirked, knowing what she needed, and drew her clit into his mouth, sucking hard as he curled his fingers inside of her. She came with her backed bowed and a scream escaping her lips. Seto trailed lazy kisses back up her body before kissing her deeply, causing her to taste herself on his lips.

"Make love to me," she whispered, adoration and love in her eyes. He gave her a rare, genuine smile and lined himself up to her center. He looked into her eyes while he pushed into her, savoring how her walls clung to him. Her nails dug into his back, making red lines as she traveled down and grip his firm butt, before pushing him deeper inside of her, causing both to gasp. He slowly drew out of her before slowly returning inside of her fully.

They moved in tandem together, creating a slow build for both as they grasped onto each other. He whispered sweet nothings in her ear as she pulled him closer. He wound his fingers through one of her hands and lifted it above her head, kissing her slowly.

"More, Seto," she pleaded. He moved faster and deeper, while he buried his face against her neck, nipping just below her ear. Seto could feel his orgasm coming closer as he quickened his pace, her moans becoming louder with each thrust. He could feel her tightening around him. He braced his knees and spread her right thigh wider with his hand, causing him to sink deeper and hit her in that treasured spot. Téa's back arched as he hit that spot over and over, until waves of pleasure crushed over her. His thrusts became desperate, her tightened channel sending him to new heights until he let out a series of primitive grunts as he came inside of her, his pelvis tight against hers. His muscles failed to hold him up as he collapsed on top of her. She basked in the feeling of contentment as she holds him close, still shaking from the effects of their combined releases. He lifted his head slowly and looked into her azure eyes.

"I love you Téa, so much," his voice choked with emotion.

"Seto, I love you too, more than words can express," blinking back her tears of happiness at seeing the return of his smile. He kisses her reverently, loath to part from her. He knows he's probably crushing her though, so he reluctantly slips out from her and rolls to the side. She feels sad at the the feeling of emptiness. They lay there in the quiet bedroom, simply listening to the other's breathing, pulling each other close.

"Whatever happens," he whispers, "I won't let you go."

"Whatever happens," she whispers back, "I will stay." She looks at him tenderly as he brushes her hair from her beautiful face and gives her a kiss that feels like a promise.

*************************

Turns out, they didn't wait till after Joey's birthday dinner. It all came to a head that very day of the highly anticipated dinner.

After Téa's impulsive visit to Atem, she had been hidden in the mansion for four days. The press hadn't left the outside of her apartment and loitering outside her work so much, her boss told her to take the week off. It worked out considering the rumors that Seto had put out about her leaving the city. Speculation about the man or men that Téa cheated with was at an all-time high. Why people cared was beyond her, but the scandal seemed to draw more and more people in. They had even been contacting Yugi and Joey and asking for their input on the situation.

Sure, the mansion was huge, but being the extrovert the she was, she missed people and the bustle of downtown. Seto was at work and frankly, she was bored out of her mind. Mokuba did his best to entertain her, but she was itching to get out of the house. Which led to her and Mokuba's current debate.

"You'll go out tonight Téa. Just wait a bit longer," Mokuba pleaded.

"I don't want the fear of the press running my life, Mokuba. You and your brother should understand that more than anyone. Let's just go get ice cream. I'll even wear a hat," Téa offered.

"But Seto-"

"I know what your brother said. I promise I will be careful. You'll be with me the whole time and I promise it'll just be for an hour. Please Mokuba. If you don't come, then I will go on my own." Téa placed her hands on her hips and stared him down.

"What about the fact that you're allegedly not in the city?"

"I'll wear a cap. No one is going to recognize me. I've done it before. C'mon it's just ice cream."

Mokuba sighed at her stubbornness. He wasn't going to be able to convince her. At least if he went with her, he could keep an eye on her and step in, if needed.

"Fine, but we're taking Roland at least."

"Deal."

They left in a black car with Roland at the helm. Téa kept her promise and wore a jean baseball hat low over her face. They parked a few stores down from the ice cream shop and Téa went to eagerly get out, before Mokuba told her to wait a minute while he looked around. After confirming with Roland that the coast was clear, the trio happily strolled to the ice cream store. It was a cute mom and pop shop with 35 flavors of rich, creamy goodness. It was fairly crowded, as it was the middle of summer, but after ordering a chocolate and rocky road ice cream, Téa and Mokuba sat down at one of the small tables. Roland stood outside the store, keeping watch happily munching on his own cookies' n' cream.

"See Mokuba," Téa smiling wide under her baseball cap, "nothing to worry about." Mokuba rolled his eyes.

"Fine, just don't tell Seto or he'll have my head." He noticed a few girls staring at their table, but once they caught him looking, they quickly looked down. One was typing furiously on her phone. He went back to his melting ice cream, enjoying the cooling sensation during the heat of the summer.

"So, how has the amusement park been running?" Téa asked. Mokuba had been taking more responsibility in Kaiba Corp. and had been working on making sure Kaiba Land's day-to-day was running smoothly. It was still in its newer years and had been undergoing constant construction to add news rides and venues.

"It's been going well. We just decided to add a Dark Magician themed ride. Not everything can be Blue Eyes, despite what Seto wants," Mokuba said, earning a giggle out of Téa.

"What will the ride be?"

"We're thinking it'll be either a roller coaster or some other kind of thrill ride. We've even talked about developing some kind of Magician show. We just need to figure out the space for the ride and then a venue for the show," Mokuba's eyes wandered around the shop. Those girls were looking in their direction again and passing a phone between them. "I want to make the rides more intense than the others. Try to draw more teenagers, than just smaller kids."

Téa nodded, "That makes sense. Maybe you could have a high school student only night or something." Téa looked away from her ice cream, only to see Mokuba frowning over at some other table. "Something wrong?" Mokuba tore his eyes away and looked back at Téa.

"I think we should go."

"Why? We're not done."

Just then Roland came rushing into the shop. "Mr. Mokuba, we need to leave. Someone sighted you both. They're coming now." Mokuba leapt up and grabbed Téa's hand making her drop her ice cream. They rushed from the shop but were immediately bombarded with flashes of cameras by dozens of reporters.

"How the hell did they get here so fast?" Mokuba yelled, pulling Téa behind him which didn't do much good considering he was shorter than her. Roland looked back over his shoulder while trying to push the reporters back.

"There was a press release down the street about the governor building a new bridge. They must have all come from there! Someone must have tipped them off." Reporters surged forward, all yelling a variety of questions. One stuck out, when Téa heard "Are you sleeping with Mokuba Kaiba?"

Téa pushed Mokuba aside and shouted at the reporter, "He's sixteen, you pervert! That's disgusting!" A reporter moved to grab Téa before Mokuba yanked her back. Roland yelled "This way!" and the duo quickly followed Roland. Unfortunately, someone grabbed Téa's bag and yanked her back, forcing her to relinquish her grip on Mokuba's hand.

"Mokuba!" Téa yelled out, but the crush of reporters cut her off from him. She could see him desperately trying to push them aside, but Roland was trying to pull him back, not understanding that Téa had been cut off. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and she shook her head wildly as she tried to block out the offending questions and comments of the surrounding reporters and onlookers. Panic rose in her chest as she felt them crush against her and the camera's flashes continue to blind her. Frantically, she lunged out in any direction, pushing past a line of reporters, looking for a way out. Unfortunately, she ran directly into the road and the path of an oncoming car. She heard the squeal of brakes and the pain barely registered before the world went dark.


	9. Secrets Revealed

Kaiba was in a business meeting, when his secretary informed him that his brother was on the line for him, saying that it was an emergency. His stomach felt like it was full of lead as he picked up the phone and was immediately greeted with a tumble on incoherent words from his brother.

"Mokuba, slow down. I can't understand you."

He heard his brother gasp a few times. When he finally heard an actual sentence, he wished he hadn't. "Téa's on the way to the hospital. She got hit by a car." Seto's heart rate spiked, and he shot up from his chair.

"She was supposed to be in the mansion! What the hell happened? How bad is it? Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine."

Seto's stomach loosened a little. "Which hospital?"

"Domino General."

"I'll meet you there." He slammed the phone down on the receiver. "Excuse me ladies and gentlemen, but I have an emergency. We'll reschedule at another time." Before any of them could protest, Kaiba strode out of the board room and informed his secretary to hold everything. He was frantically pushing the "Elevator Close" button when Yugi picked up Kaiba's call.

"Where are you?"

"At the Main Street Café. Why?" Yugi's confused voice came through the phone.

Perfect. He was just down the street. "Be outside in two minutes. I'll be there with a car. Téa's in the hospital. I need you to contact her parents." Kaiba strode through the lobby and tapped his foot impatiently as his driver reached the curb.

"WHAT HAPPENED?"

"I have no idea," Kaiba's tone was laced with frustration, "she wasn't supposed to leave my house until the mutt's dinner tonight. I'll be there in one minute."

He yanked the door open angerly and gave the driver instructions. Sensing his boss's urgency, the driver decided that speeding may be warranted. They arrived in front of the café a minute later, and Yugi jumped in the car. He was frantically talking to someone, assumingly Téa's parents, but it was just background noise until Yugi spoke to him directly.

"They'll meet us there. What's going on?"

"No idea," Kaiba snapped. "I got a frantic call from Mokuba saying that Téa got hit by a car. He'll know." Tense silence filled the car. They reached the hospital in record time and both passengers jumped out before the driver could even put the car in park. They ran into the emergency room, looking urgently for the younger Kaiba. Spotting him sitting next to Roland, Kaiba yelled, "Mokuba!" He felt some pressure lift from his chest when he saw that Mokuba was indeed unharmed.

Mokuba's head snapped up and he immediately ran into his brother's arms, tears streaming down his face. "It's all my fault brother!" Mokuba sobbed. "I shouldn't have let her convince me! But I was worried she would just go without me! I should have protected her! It's all my fault!"

Kaiba wrapped his arms around his brother and hugged him tight. "No Mokuba, it's not. Whatever happened, I know you were acting in her best interest. Tell me what happened." Mokuba described what happened with the reporters to Kaiba and Yugi, both their faces contorting in anger.

"Damn it," Kaiba hissed, "I'm going to break them when I find them." He patted Mokuba's head when fresh sobs came from his brother. "You did your best. It's not your fault. It's those damn reporters. I'll have Roland take you home."

Mokuba frowned, "But I want to stay till Téa wakes up!"

"I'll call as soon as we get news. But I don't want you in the middle of this anymore than what you already have. I need to make sure you're not here when those vultures start crowding in front of the hospital. Plus, you can start prepping whatever is necessary at the house for when Téa comes home. Make sure she's comfortable." Seto knew that would do the trick to convince his brother to leave. Mokuba sniffed and nodded sadly, knowing arguing would be fruitless and wanting to help Téa.

"As SOON as you get news. Promise?"

"I promise." Kaiba gave his brother another hug and waved Roland over who nervously approached and started apologizing profusely to Kaiba for his failure. Kaiba waved him off, not wanting to deal with it, and sent them both on their way.

A few minutes after Mokuba left, a middle-aged couple walked into the waiting room, looking around jerkily. When they spotted Yugi, they rushed over.

"Yugi! Mr. Kaiba! Is there any news? Tell me!" Mr. Gardner demanded. Normally people didn't demand anything of Seto Kaiba. But, since there were his girlfriend's parents, even though they didn't know about the relationship, Kaiba figured they could get away with it.

Yugi shook his head. "Not yet. I'm going to call my Grandpa really quick. He was with me when Kaiba called. I'll let Kaiba explain what happened." Yugi glanced at Kaiba who nodded. Yugi wasn't sure what Kaiba wanted to tell them, so Yugi would leave it to him. After he walked away, Kaiba took a breath.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Gardner. Téa was with my brother when they were harassed by reporters. To get away from them, Téa ran into the street and an oncoming car hit her. I'm so sorry. I'll pay for all the hospital expenses." Kaiba forced himself to meet their eyes, even with the shame burning in his chest. He couldn't bear to tell them that it was because of Téa's relationship with him that got her here and not just because she happened to be with one of the Kaiba brothers.

Mrs. Gardner shook her head. "Don't blame yourself, Mr. Kaiba, for the actions of others. We know what the paparazzi can be like. Téa would never let something like that stop her from being with who she wants."

Kaiba opened his mouth to respond, when a doctor walked into the waiting room and approached them. "Are you Téa Gardner's parents?" Her mother nodded.

"Yes. Julie and Jeff Gardner. How is she?" Téa's mother answered. The doctor glanced at Kaiba. "He's her boyfriend just tell us," Julie insisted.

Seto blinked. Ok, so maybe they did know, he thought.

"She's got multiple bruises on her midsection. A mild concussion, probably from the impact when she fell to the ground. A couple of cracked ribs. But overall, she's going to be fine. She has no internal bleeding and she should heal in a few weeks." Kaiba looked at the ceiling and thanked whatever gods were up there. Relived sighs came from both parents. "You can see her if you like. She woke up a few minutes ago. She'll be groggy and tired, but we want her to awake for the next few hours because of the concussion. It'll be best if someone stays and talks to her to keep her from falling asleep."

Téa's mother turned to her father and said "Go in first, Jeff. Let me speak to Mr. Kaiba for a minute." Téa's father nodded and hurried in to see his daughter.

Kaiba cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I didn't realize she told you about us."

Julie looked him in the eye and shrugged. "She didn't. I saw you two together at her apartment." Kaiba's eyes widened slightly. Please tell me she didn't see us having- that train of thought stopped when she continued, "I came to make her dinner at her new place, and I saw someone through the window that was definitely not her. When I came in, you were gone, I assume she hid you in that small closet, but your jacket was still on the chair. I recognized it from the news and then I saw the KC logo. I put it together." Her lips twitched into a smile. "I was going to stay for dinner, but I thought it would be mean to make you stay in that small closet the whole time."

One side of Kaiba's mouth twitched. He remembered that day. When they heard the knock, they panicked, and she stuffed him in a closet that was half his height. His neck killed him the next day. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you," he started. Julie held up her hand.

"I get why you didn't Mr. Kaiba. I don't pay attention to that tabloid trash, but I know that you were just trying to protect her from the people that do. I know she didn't want us to have to keep secrets for her." She let out a breathy laugh. "That girl, always thinking of others before herself. She didn't want us to worry, but she failed to realize that parents always worry." He nodded, slightly relieved they weren't angry.

"Please, just Seto is fine." She smiled at him and Kaiba saw the resemblance between mother and daughter. They had the exact same blue eyes. "Go ahead and join her, I need to tell the news to Yugi and call my brother. I'll be right back." She nodded and headed into the room. Yugi was just hanging up the phone when Kaiba strolled over.

"So, how is she?"

Kaiba let out a big exhale. "She's going to be fine. She has a concussion, so she needs to stay awake. Her parents are with her now." Yugi breathed a sigh of relief. They stood together in companionable silence for a few minutes, trying to wrap their minds around the day they just had. "I need to call Mokuba. I'll be down the hall." Yugi nodded and watched as Kaiba walked off.

Yugi walked over to the seats in the waiting room and collapsed onto one. He put his head in his hands. How the hell was he going to tell Atem about what transpired here? A small part of him blamed him. If he hadn't made all those statements, Téa wouldn't have been harassed by reporters this intensely. Maybe a couple calls here and there, but not hunted like a dog. If Atem had just kept his dick in his pants, then none of this would have happened and Téa and Atem would still be together. But that wasn't fair. Kaiba and Téa would never have found each other then. Yugi knew they loved each other. He saw it on their faces when he first walked into Téa's apartment.

He was rubbing his forehead with his hand when he heard, "Yugi!" He saw Joey, Tristan, and Duke all running towards him. "Gramps called," Tristan panted, "what the hell happened?"

"She got hit by a car but she's going to be ok," Yugi breathed. His eyes widened as he saw one more person that was part of the party.

"You shouldn't be here," Yugi's voice lowered as he looked at Atem.

"I know that Téa and I's relationship is strenuous right now, but I wanted to see that she was alright." Atem insisted.

Yugi shook his head. "You don't understand-" Just then Seto Kaiba walked back into the waiting room.

"I told Mokuba-" Kaiba stopped. Yugi held his breath. He watched as fury came across the CEO's face. "You." His tone could have frozen hell over.

Atem looked confused. "Kaiba, what are you-" He didn't finish before Kaiba grabbed him by the collar of his jacket with both hands and slammed him against the wall, Kaiba's steel blue eyes looking murderous. Joey, Tristan, and Duke all lunged forward but Yugi shook his head and held them back. Seto Kaiba was not to be interfered with.

"You did this. This is your fault."

Atem mouth gaped open, violet eyes wide and his hair stuck up awkwardly against the wall. "What-"

"You just had to win, Pharaoh." It was a title of respect, but when Kaiba said it, it sounded like a mockery. "You couldn't have just let her go after all you did to her. You treated her like trash. You cheated on the woman that you claimed to love, I don't even want to know how many times with who knows how many different women. You only have yourself to blame for her finding someone else. You should've just let her go after all you've put her through. But no, you had to face your opponent. You had to know who she chose over the great and mighty Atem. This has all been a fucking game to you. Well, here I am Pharaoh. Face me if you dare." Kaiba snarled and his voice dripped with venom. Kaiba slammed the former king against the wall as he finished his sentence. Atem's violet eyes widened further when he realized what Kaiba meant.

"You-" Atem's voice shook.

"That's right," Kaiba confirmed, "I'm the one that was screwing your girlfriend. Except, now she's mine. And no one gets away with hurting what's mine."

Atem's mind spun. How could he have not seen this? It all made sense. Yugi said it was someone he hadn't expected. Talk about an understatement. Atem thought back to the conversation he had with Kaiba in his office. He remembered Kaiba's smug attitude and how he had refused to tell Atem who it was he was seeing. Atem thought Kaiba had just been being his normal, difficult self. Kaiba said that she was having problems with her ex. Of course.

"How long has this been going on?" Atem's tried to sound assertive, but it was hard when he was pinned up against a wall while Kaiba was lifting him up, so Atem's feet skimmed the ground.

Kaiba chucked darkly. "Months, Pharaoh, months. You should've bowed out gracefully. But no, you just had to win. But no one would tell you who you were dueling. So, you forced this media circus on her in order to discover who your opponent was."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Atem's voice was laced with anger as he glared at Kaiba. "Why not face me?"

Kaiba scowled at him. "Because unlike you, I put her needs before my own. Sleeping with the rival? They would've destroyed her. I did it to protect her, unlike you. So, much for all your preaching about friendship. You did this. You didn't have to make those statements. Your breakup could've passed in the news with little attention. If you hadn't acted so insane, we would've told you. We would've only had to wait a couple months before we went public. But instead, you threw her to the wolves. You made her a target. You want to know how she got hit by the car?"

Kaiba slammed him into the wall again, his voice cold, and his features marred by rage. "She was being attacked by those vultures. In order to get away from them, she had to run. She ran right into the street, placing herself right in front of that car. You put Téa and Mokuba in danger because of your need to win. Now, she's in that hospital bed and my brother is distraught and blaming himself."

"I-I didn't mean-"

"I don't care.You'll be lucky to be able to show your face in Domino once I'm through with you. You lost her. This is a defeat you can't wiggle your way out of. But, I don't even care that you lost. I care that you hurt her. But I'm telling you now, you've hurt her for the last time Pharaoh. Because the secret is out, and nothing is holding me back." Kaiba suddenly let go, and Atem unceremoniously crumpled to the ground. Kaiba scowled at him as Atem sat there in shock. "You disgust me. Get out or I'll have you removed."

Silence filled the waiting room. Atem pushed himself to his feet, shakily. His mind was spinning. Kaiba's words and the consequences of his actions fully bearing down on his shoulders. He looked at Yugi pleadingly. Yugi only shook his head. This was it. There was no way he could win against Kaiba. Kaiba protected Téa where Atem had put her in harm's way. He lost the most important duel of his life, without even realizing it. Atem walked out of the hospital, eyes downturned, sullen and completely defeated by Seto Kaiba.

Yugi looked at Kaiba who was still facing the wall and hadn't moved. He saw that Kaiba's fists were shaking. Suddenly, Kaiba punched the wall where Atem's head had been and created a fist-sized hole. Joey grabbed Kaiba's shoulder.

"Holy shit! Kaiba, are you-"

"Get off me, mutt!" Kaiba snapped. Joey reeled back at his ferocity and let go. He opened his mouth to say something, but Yugi grabbed his arm and shook his head.

"Just give him a minute," Yugi said softly. Surprisingly, Joey nodded. They all watched as Kaiba removed his hand from inside the dry wall, rolled his shoulders and exhaled. It was rare for him to lose control like that. He prided himself on his self-control and for him to lose it so completely made them all realize just how deeply Kaiba felt about this situation.

Kaiba looked at his hand and saw that he had cracked his knuckles. He flexed it and it felt fine, despite the minor throbbing. He turned around to face the geeks.

"I'll need to find someone that I can talk to about paying for the wall."

Tristan gaped at him. "Seriously, that's the first thing you say?" Kaiba rolled his eyes.

"What do you want me to say?" Kaiba snarked.

"An explanation would be nice," Duke interjected. "I'll admit I'm a little behind on what's been going on. But I mean, how in the world did you and Téa start sleeping together?"

"Look," Yugi interfered, "now isn't the best time or place for this conversation."

Duke looked at Yugi, confused. "Did you know about all this?"

Yugi flinched. "Not the whole time. I only found out because Téa was in trouble and they needed help."

Just then Téa's parents emerged and rushed over to the group. Kaiba immediately asked, "How is she?"

Her mother smiled and said, "She's doing fine. She's asking for you. We're going to run home and grab a few things for her. We'll be back in an hour. Thank you Mr.-I mean, Seto." Kaiba nodded and both parents left the group alone. Kaiba immediately turned and headed towards Téa's room.

"Can someone please explain what just happened," Joey whined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the secret is out! 
> 
> The scene between Atem and Kaiba in the hospital is really what inspired the rest of this fic after the first chapter. I couldn't get it out of my head and just ended up writing a short story for it.


	10. the Aftermath

Seto walked briskly into Téa's room and his anger resurged itself when he saw her lying in the hospital bed. He could see major bruising on her right arm, the side that she must've had fallen on. She smiled weakly at him as he sat down on her bed, took her hand and placed a kiss gently on their clasped hands.

"Are you ok?" she asked. He chuckled sadly.

"I think I should be asking you that. Only you would be asking me if I'm ok while you were the one laying in the hospital bed."

She rolled her eyes at him, but he saw a smile tugging at her lips. Concern washed over her features suddenly. "Is Mokuba ok? I feel awful, it's all my fault we were out. Don't blame him. Did he get away from the reporters?"

Seto sushed her. He sat down gently on the hospital bed, not wanting to jar her. He took her hands in his placed a small kiss on them. "He's fine. Upset, but fine. He was worried about you. This isn't your fault. It's the reporters' fault." He left Atem's name out of the blame, not wanting to argue with her.

She nodded looking relieved. "There's something else." He hesitated in what he was about to say, but he didn't want her to be blindsided later. "I don't want to upset you, but if anyone else comes in, they'll probably tell you anyway. The secret about us is out. All your friends know."

"Even Atem?" she asked.

He grasped her hand more tightly. "Yes." He stroked a tear away that trailed down her cheek. "Are you in any pain?"

She shook her head slowly. "I knew this was going to happen. I just…I hate causing any more pain than I already have."

Seto cupped her cheek and forced her to meet his eyes. "This isn't just on you. It's on all three of us. I was the one that hit on you that night if I recall correctly. I know that this hasn't been easy. There is still more to come, but I would go through this and more for you. I love you, Téa."

She gave him a watery smile. "I love you too."

Seto heard a knock at the door and a nurse entered. He rose from the bed. "Excuse me for the interruption, but we want to take Ms. Gardner for another test, just to double check her ribs and head. We'd like to keep her for observation overnight, but she can go home tomorrow." Kaiba nodded and stood up from the bed, reluctant to leave her. "Also-" the nurse hesitated, "there are some men in the waiting room that are arguing that were with you earlier, Mr. Kaiba. Could you please speak to them? This is a hospital and I will have security remove them."

Seto rolled his eyes. Great. "I'll deal with them. Also," he glanced uncomfortably at Téa, "could you tell me who I could speak with about the wall damage?"

"I'll have them come find you Mr. Kaiba."

Téa looked at him confused. "Wall damage? What happened?" She seemed to notice the damage to his hand. "Seto what-"

"I'll tell you later," he said quickly. "Just focus on getting better." He gave her a tight smile as the nurse waved him from the room.

When he went back to the waiting room, an argument was indeed turning into a full-blown yelling match. He could hear them from the down the hall. Something about how Kaiba had been having his wicked ways with Téa. Joey and Tristan were yelling and gesturing wildly at Yugi who was holding his hands up in a submissive position. Mai, who seemed to have just arrived, and Duke were trying to calm them down. Kaiba cleared his throat loudly and crossed his arms over his broad chest. At once, the yelling ceased, and they all stared at him.

"I know this may be hard for you, but this is a hospital and they don't need to hear your barking, mutt."

"Why you-" Joey began striding towards him, fuming until Mai but a hand on his chest and stopped him.

"Enough, both of you," she said. "We're all worried about Téa, but this is not helping anyone."

Joey rolled his eyes and said, "Tell that to Mr. Let-Me-Just-Punch-Holes-in-Walls."

"Quit your yapping, Wheeler," Kaiba snapped. "Téa's in the hospital if you haven't noticed, so could you please stop being a single-minded idiot for five minutes?"

"This is unbelievable! Why the fuck would she sleep with you? Out of all the people in the world, why did you have to sink your evil claws into her?" Joey yelled. "You'll treat her even worse than Atem did," he spat at Kaiba.

Kaiba's eyes flashed dangerously. "Careful, Wheeler. Or I may not hit the wall next time."

"Stop it!" Yugi decided to step in, before things really started escalating. "Joey, Téa is an adult and can make her own decisions about who she-" Yugi flinched, "spends her time with. And despite what you think, Kaiba does care for her. I've seen it. He's done his best to protect her from everything that Atem has put her through, including what happened today."

Kaiba blinked down at Yugi in surprise. He didn't expect the runt to defend him. He never expected anyone to.

Joey seemed to stop at Yugi's interference. He glanced uncertainly at Kaiba. "You said what happened today was Atem's fault. What did you mean?"

Kaiba glanced down again at Yugi. "What have you told them?"

Yugi shrugged. "Not much. It wasn't my place. I only told them that Téa was hit by a car today and that you were her uh-" he cleared his throat uncomfortably "her boyfriend."

"We want an explanation. We're her friends." Tristan said. Duke nodded next to him.

"Some friends," Kaiba snapped. "Last I heard, you two weren't speaking to her because you got all pissy about her not telling you something that isn't any of your business."

Tristan opened his mouth to retaliate, but Kaiba helped up a hand and sighed. He had really hoped Téa would be with him when they did this, but that wasn't going to be an option. He explained that him and Téa had been seeing each other for six months now. A chance meeting led them both to start this. He told them of the harassment by the press Téa had been experiencing the past month and how Atem's statements had ultimately led to the occurrence of the events of today.

When Kaiba finished, silence descended on the group. "What a turn of events," Duke said, breaking the solace.

Mai rolled her eyes, but she turned to look at Kaiba. "Is she really going to be alright?"

Kaiba nodded. "They said they're going to keep her overnight, but she can leave tomorrow." He saw Mai relax.

"I don't like you Kaiba, and I probably never will. But, Yug's right. If you're who Téa wants, then I guess I can accept that," Joey said reluctantly.

"We don't need your approval. Just don't say anything to upset her," Kaiba replied flippantly.

"Mr. Kaiba?" Kaiba turned to see a short man with glasses, glancing uncertainly between him and the group. "I'm Charles Stevens. I'm here to speak to you about the wall." Kaiba's cheeks flushed a little, but he nodded. "We can discuss this in my office, if you prefer." At Kaiba's nod, he led Kaiba away from the group. The gang watched as Kaiba strode away, head held high.

"You gotta admit," Tristan started, "the guy can throw a punch at least."  
***********************

Kaiba had been correct, as always. The media did indeed go wild. But, not completely for the reasons they had expected. Apparently, some kid that played Duel Monsters had been in the waiting room when Téa had been brought in. When he had seen four of the greatest, if not the greatest duelists, he had immediately started recording, thinking his friends would never believe him if he didn't. He had caught the whole interaction between Seto Kaiba and Atem Mutou. The video recorded every word. Taking a note from Seto Kaiba himself, he sold the recording to the highest bidder. Because Kaiba had been so distracted by everything else, he had been unable to purchase it to stop the release. His Public Relations team got an earful and Kaiba fired the head for missing something this big. To be honest though, Kaiba might've released the video himself anyway.

For once, Atem got a taste of his own medicine. Once word of his serial cheating broke, tons of woman came forward claiming to have slept with him. Whether all of them were telling the truth will never be known, but Atem's reputation suffered, nonetheless. Some called him a lying snake. Others put the blame on Kaiba, saying he had just used Téa to finally beat the King. Others said that Téa was the one to blame for not keeping her legs closed and that she didn't deserve either of them.

The storm was fierce and social media was unforgiving. Atem had left a week after the video went viral. He told Yugi that was taking a leave of absence from everything. He was going back to Egypt and was going to stay with the Ishtars. He was ashamed of what he had done and the pain he had caused. He needed to reflect on his actions away from everything.

Téa and Seto hosted a dinner after she had recovered and invited all her friends give everyone a chance to get used to her and Seto being a couple. She even invited her parents at Seto's insistence. It went relatively well, despite the tense atmosphere. Seto and Joey both promised to be on their best behavior which resulted in them ignoring each other for most of the night. Still, baby steps.

After a lot of arguments, persuasion, and make-up sex, Téa did convince Seto to not go after Atem. After she yelled that if he went after Atem, it would only stir things up all over again and she didn't want that, he finally conceded. Partly. He just wouldn't do anything publicly. He couldn't pull any of KC's sponsorships of Atem because of the contracts and it would hurt the company's profits, but that didn't mean he couldn't hurt him in other ways. Like, sending him to the dingiest tournaments when he returned, demoting him at the Academy and cutting his pay substantially. And rubbing his relationship with Téa in Atem's face every chance he could.

It was two months after Téa and Seto's affair had been brought to light. They were making their first public appearance as an official couple at the Annual Duel Monsters Banquet. It's held every year to celebrate the end of the tournament season. Normally, Seto avoided these types of events like the plague, but he knew it was important for them to finally face the public together and show a united front. Plus, Atem was still out of the country which would make attending a lot smoother.

"Are you nervous?" he asked her. She looked absolutely breathtaking. Her royal blue gown was made of beautiful satin material and hugged her in all the right places. Her hair was straightened and pinned back, and the color of the dress brought out the blueness of her eyes. When she had come down the stairs, he hadn't been able to form a sentence for a full five minutes. Mokuba had a good laugh at that. He watched her fidgeting with her diamond bracelet on her wrist, that he had bought her as a gift.

She looked at him anxiously. "Is it that obvious?" He snorted.

"Calm down, I'll be there the whole time. Once we get inside the venue, it'll be fine. The reporters aren't allowed in there." She rolled her eyes.

"Yea, then we'll just be surrounded by all the people we've known for years that will be gossiping behind our backs. They may respect you because you're a big shot duelist, but I'm just the girl that was on the sidelines. I can already imagine what they'll be saying about me," she said, staring out the limo's window, her tone defeated. The past weeks had really taken a toll on her. He had done his best to shield her from the negative comments from the press and social media, but his reach only went so far, though he was loath to admit that.

He took her hand in his and forced her to look at him by cupping her chin. "Look, I know this is hard, but it is something we would have to do eventually. Your friends will be there, and I promise I won't leave your side." She gave him a smile that warmed him right to his toes. "Besides," he continued dropping his voice an octave, "we can always come back to the limo if we're not having fun."

She chuckled, "Wouldn't be the first time we've had a bit too much fun in a limo."

He whispered in her ear seductively, "And I'm going to make sure it's not the last." She felt warmth pool in her belly and a thrill shoot through her. "Damn, we're here. Guess we can continue this later," he finished with a wink. She sucked in a deep breath, realizing that the car had indeed stopped. She could already hear reporters yelling and see cameras flashing.

"I'll get out first," he said. "Ready?"

"As long as I have you," she said, "I can do anything."

"I love you."

"I love you too." The car door opened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is an epilogue because I wanted Atem back for another scene. This ending just didn't feel quite right.


	11. Epilouge

Téa felt complete contentment in her chest as her and Seto strolled through the park, her arm laced around his. They had just finished a lavish dinner and she insisted on taking a stroll through Domino Park. It was a beautiful clear night; the moon was bright and the air crisp. Things had finally calmed for them. The media had moved on to some other scandal and her friends had accepted her and Seto as a couple. They could finally be at peace with one another and focus on their relationship without all the obstacles and distractions that they faced before.

Téa giggled slightly as Seto finished the story of how Mokuba had completely lost his cool at one of the park's engineers.

"I'm telling you; I've never seen him so mad," Seto finished.

She giggled again. "Yea, normally it's you that's yelling and firing people."

"What can I say, I've raised him well," he replied smirking. Téa released a laugh and he gave her a tiny smile. Téa looked ahead and saw someone walking towards them along the park path. She saw the outline of spiky hair and at first, she thought it was Yugi and was about to call out. Then she realized that he was too tall to be her friend and more built.

"Atem," Téa breathed. She felt Seto stiffen under her hand.

Atem raised his violet eyes that had been previously on the ground and he stopped short.

"Téa," he said, clearly surprised. Atem's eyes flickered to her companion. "Kaiba," he greeted, civil but tense.

"Mutou," Seto said coldly "Now that we're all acquainted, my girlfriend and I will just continue our walk." Seto moved to continue walking, but Atem's words stopped him.

"Wait, I was wondering if I could have a minute to speak with Tea," he asked. Téa saw Seto's eyes narrow and she knew whatever was going to come out of his mouth next would not be pleasant.

"Of course, Atem" she interjected. Seto glared down at her, clearly displeased with the notion, but she gave him a small smile. "I'll be fine Seto, just give us a minute." She squeezed his arm in reassurance. His blue eyes studied her for a minute before he gave a stiff nod.

"Upset her and there will be consequences," Seto hissed as he pushed past Atem. Seto walked far enough to give them a sense of privacy, but not out of earshot.

Téa's felt nervous as she looked at her former lover. He was much tanner than normal, probably due to spending time in the Egyptian sun. He wore his usual black leather jacket and jeans, but his face still seemed tired. His violet eyes were trained on her. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"How was your trip?" Téa asked tentatively.

"It was nice to see the Ishtars again and to be back in my home country," he replied vaguely.

"Oh, I'm glad you enjoyed it." An awkward silence fell on them.

"Téa," he began, "I need to apologize to you. For everything. The cheating, the whole press, the car accident." Atem's voice choked. "I completely disregarded you and disrespected you in the most horrible way. I will regret how I hurt you for the rest of my life. I realize now just how badly my actions harmed you. I am ashamed to call myself your friend. I understand if you never want to see me again. But I am so, so incredibly sorry for what I've done."

Téa looked into his eyes and saw they were genuine. It was true that he had hurt her in one of the worst ways. But she had hurt him too. She should have ended it a lot sooner, but there was no changing history. And she wouldn't change any of it if it meant that she wouldn't have found Seto.

She understood that Seto may never be able to move past this with Atem. But she recognized that she betrayed Atem too. It didn't matter that he had cheated with more people or that she slept with the rival, it mattered that they broke the trust between them and they both doomed their relationship. She couldn't hold onto the anger and hate. Téa could see his remorse in his face and hear the guilt in his voice. She gave him a comforting smile.

"I am too Atem. I'm sorry about how things ended between us and all the secrets. But I hope that one day, we can move past this. No matter what, I will always count you as a friend. Things won't ever be the same, but I hope that we can rebuild the friendship that we shared."

Atem gave her a hesitant smile and she was taken back to her high school days. He looked so much better when he was smiling.

"I hope we can too." They heard a cell phone ringing and glanced over at Seto who swiped at his phone and began speaking to someone.

"I also hope that you and Seto can learn to live with one another," Téa said hesitantly.

"Now, that might take a bit longer along with a miracle." They both released some tentative laughter. "Is he treating you well?"

Atem's face was guarded, but she saw some hoping flittering in his eyes.

"Yes, I never thought I'd say this but, he's made me very happy."

Atem deflated a little but nodded. "Good, I'm glad that you've found someone to treat you as you deserve. Though to be honest, the fact that it's Kaiba is still shocking to me."

Téa chuckled, "If I'm honest, it's still shocking to me too sometimes."

A breeze gently blew through the park and they stood in companionable silence for a moment.

"I am glad you're back," Téa said. "I know Yugi missed you."

"Yes, four months was a long time to be away and it feels good to be home." Atem stuffed his hands in his pockets and gave her a real smile this time.

"I should go, I'm sure Seto is ready to head home," she said softly. Téa had moved into the mansion last month, but she had been calling it home long before that.

Atem nodded. "Téa," he said hesitantly, "I will always love you. I-I hope that we can be close again."

She leaned forward impulsively and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Goodnight Atem."

Téa turned and walked back towards her lover. Atem watched as Seto offered Téa his arm again, a softness in his eyes Atem had never seen before. She looked up at him, her face glowing, and her smile radiant. Atem thought back to when she would look at him like that if she ever did. He could see just how much love was shared between them and knew that he never stood a chance at winning her back before or ever again. He had felt the loss of Téa for months, but it now hit him full force that he would feel it for the rest of his life. He watched the couple forlornly for another minute, before continuing his walk. He would remain in solitude a while longer and maybe one day, he would find someone else, but he knew that there would always be a void left in his heart.

"You know I'm going to have to cut his pay again for kissing you," Seto said gruffly.

Téa rolled her eyes. "I kissed his cheek Seto, it's hardly a big deal."

"Maybe not to you, but he sure looked happy," Seto grumbled.

Téa stopped on the path and looked at him incredulously. "You're telling me after all this time, all that we went through, that you're still jealous?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I don't get jealous."

"That is the biggest lie I think I've ever heard in my whole life."

"It is not."

"Yes, it is."

"No."

"Yes."

Seto rolled his eyes and huffed. "Whatever, dweeb."

Téa laughed. "Wow haven't heard that in a while. Well I have news for you Seto Kaiba," she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, "you're in love with a dweeb."

"I'm not so sure about that." His arms came around her waist.

"It's true," she said, smiling coyly.

"Now, I think you're lying," he grinned down at her.

"Nope, I swear on Blue Eyes."

He mocked gasp. "That's very serious."

"I know, but there's more."

"Oh?"

She nodded, smiling up at him. She leaned in closer and whispered, "I'm in love with a jerk."

He smirked playfully, "Sounds dangerous."

"Oh, he is, but he's got a soft side."

"I take offense to that."

She laughed. "Just shut up and kiss me."

He happily obliged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap. Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
